


When Fate Intervenes

by Rycolfan (Snarryeyes)



Category: Whose Line Is It Anyway? RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Coffee Shops, Drama, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Terrorism, emergency services
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-08-22 01:32:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 65,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8267756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snarryeyes/pseuds/Rycolfan
Summary: Ryan is cop in L.A. who discovers that you can't always predict where life will take you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I've decided to post this story here - mostly because I'm paranoid that everything on Livejournal will one day disappear. I'll also be editing as I go, because there are bound to be things that aggravate me. XD
> 
> Originally posted on the wl_fanfiction comm on LJ in 2010.
> 
> Purely a work of my imagination. No offense intended to those portrayed herein.

It's funny how one moment can change the course of your life forever; just being in the right place at the right time. Some might call it fate while others will say it's just a series of coincidences, but, whatever it is, one tiny moment turned Ryan's life upside-down.

When Ryan woke up that morning, he thought it was just another routine day on the job. He'd been in the LAPD for over fifteen years; some might say he lived for it. There was certainly little else in his life, but he was, for the most part, content with that. Sure, he got a little lonely around the holidays, but so did lots of people. As long as he was putting criminals away, he felt like he was fulfilling his purpose in life.

That didn't stop Greg, his partner on the force, from constantly nagging him about his personal life, but he had learnt to tune it out. He'd come out a few years ago, encouraged by some of his gay friends in the force, and had been relieved by the calm acceptance of his sexuality. He had hidden it for years, worried about the reactions and the stigma associated with it, but everyone had been very supportive. Well, mostly everyone. Anyway, the truth was that he didn't think he'd ever find the right man to share his life with. He was never going on another blind date after the last disaster that Greg had set up. He should have expected it really. After all, Greg was very straight and happily married.

That morning started out just like any other. Greg and Ryan stopped at their usual coffee house for a much needed dose of caffeine, Greg shouting what he wanted as Ryan got out of the car to head inside. There was a small queue of people waiting at the counter, so he joined the line and waited patiently. Some of the other customers noticed his uniform and nodded politely to him with a smile, which he returned.

“Hey, Ryan.” The girl behind the counter smiled as she turned to serve him. “What can I get you this morning?”

“Morning, Lucy,” Ryan replied, flashing a grin. “Can I just get a large espresso and cappuccino please?”

“Sure.”

Ryan glanced at his watch as she began working the coffee machine; he didn't want to be late in today. The chief was holding a meeting to discuss the recent terrorist threats. The anonymous phone calls were initially thought to be hoaxes, but last week a car had exploded near the center of the city. Luckily no one was killed, but it had significantly raised the threat level and brought the whole force under media scrutiny.

“There you go, Ryan.”

“Great, thanks.” He dropped several notes onto the counter and grabbed the coffees. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Stay safe!”

Having already turned to leave, Ryan glanced back to smile at her and walked straight into a warm body, spilling his espresso down the front of it.

“Oh god, I'm so sorry,” Ryan said, putting the coffees down to snatch a napkin from the counter and dab at the spreading stain, “I can't believe I just did that.”

“It's okay,” a deep, pleasant sounding voice replied.

Ryan raised his head and found himself looking into a pair of amused hazel eyes. The man he'd bumped into had an open friendly face and was smiling at him slightly, which brought out his dimples. His hair was thinning on top but he had a youthful look about him and an open warmth in his features. He wasn't quite as tall as Ryan, but he had a good physique. Ryan idly glanced down at his left hand and noted that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring. 

Realizing that he'd been staring for a minute without saying anything, he cleared his throat loudly. “I'm sorry, that's gonna stain.”

“It's my fault, I should have watched where I was going,” the man replied easily. “Let me buy you a replacement.”

“Oh no, you don't have to do that,” Ryan interjected.

“No, but I want to.” The man smiled, moving to speak quickly to Lucy who had been watching the scene with interest. As Lucy rushed to make another, the man turned back to Ryan, who was still staring at him, and his smile widened. “Are you on duty?” he asked, gesturing to Ryan's uniform.

Ryan shook himself out of his daze. “Yeah, I'm just on my way in.”

Greg chose that moment to sound his horn loudly and they both turned to look out of the window at him.

“That's my partner,” Ryan explained, trying to ignore the way Greg was pointing at his watch in an exaggerated manner.

“Here you go,” Lucy called from behind them and they both turned back to her. The man paid her and passed the coffee to Ryan, who smiled and thanked him as Greg beeped again.

“I've got to go,” Ryan said, almost reluctantly. “I'm sorry again,” he added pointing to the man's shirt.

“Don't worry about it.”

Ryan was almost at the door when he suddenly remembered that he'd never introduced himself. He turned around and called, “I'm Ryan, by the way.”

“Colin,” the man replied with another smile.

“Do you come here every morning?” Ryan asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Colin shrugged. “Most mornings. I'm sure we'll run into each other again... hopefully not quite so literally next time, though.”

Ryan grinned and headed out to the car, where Greg was tapping his hands on the wheel impatiently.

“What the hell were you doing in there?” Greg asked as soon as he got in, “Growing your own beans and making the coffee from scratch?”

Rolling his eyes, Ryan passed Greg's cappuccino over. Greg took a mouthful, smacking his lips in approval, before starting the engine and pulling away. “Who was that guy you were talking to anyway?”

Ryan smiled and stared out of the window. “Just someone I ran into.”


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan and Greg arrived at the LA Police Central Bureau a little later than planned and hurried into the building, throwing their empty coffee cups in the bin as they passed it. It was packed inside, the loud murmur of many different conversations filling the main room.

“There's Chip and Jeff,” Greg shouted to Ryan over the din, pointing to a far corner of the room. It took them a while to push through the crowd, but they eventually reached their two friends.

“You two are cutting it fine, aren't you?” Chip asked, eyebrows raised.

“Blame him,” Greg replied, gesturing to Ryan. “He was chatting to a mystery man in the coffee shop.”

“Oooh, tell me more,” Chip said with interest, making Ryan roll his eyes. Along with Ryan, Chip was one of the few gay police officers in the department, but he was much more open and flamboyant about it. Jeff, his partner on the force, was straight and more reserved but had learnt to accept Chip's overwhelming personality with a sort of resigned amusement.

“There's nothing to tell,” Ryan replied firmly, elbowing Greg with a glare. “I bumped into someone and we got talking.”

“Uh huh,” Chip said in a knowing tone. “And was he cute?”

Ryan was spared the embarrassment of answering when a loud voice called for silence. They all turned to see Drew, their chief, standing in front of the large crowd of officers.

“Okay people,” he began in a no-nonsense voice. “We've got a situation on our hands. The car bombing last week has created a media frenzy, with the spotlight landing squarely on our shoulders. Now, we have no idea yet who's behind it or if they plan to hit more targets; none of the known terrorist factions have claimed responsibility.

“Until we have sufficient intelligence to act on I want each and every one of you to be on high alert. If you see anything suspicious out on the street I want you to call it in immediately; no one was hurt by the last bomb but next time we might not be so lucky. The citizens of LA are counting on us to keep them safe, so let's find this son of a bitch and put him away for good. Now get to it.”

There were several shouts of, “Yes, chief,” before everyone started moving off towards their respective areas.

“I get the feeling this is going to be a long day,” Ryan sighed as the four of them walked out together. 

Greg slung an arm around his shoulder casually. “I got your back, buddy.”

“Don't think you're off the hook, Ryan,” Chip called across the lot as he and Jeff got into their squad car. “I want to hear all about this mystery man of yours later.”  
Jeff gave him a sympathetic look and Ryan groaned, knowing Chip was going to be a dog with a bone until he got all the details.

Despite Ryan's gloomy prediction, though, the rest of the day passed fairly smoothly. They had to deal with the usual sort of incidents, including a smash and grab at a jewellery store, a mugging, several traffic accidents, and a burglary, but nothing major.

 

Ryan didn't see Colin at the coffee house the following morning, despite loitering there longer than usual in the vain hope that he'd show up. Greg, of course, took great pleasure in teasing him about it for the rest of the day and telling Chip about it as soon as he was able. Chip had made it his personal mission to bug Ryan into spilling the beans about his coffee shop encounter even though, as Ryan kept informing him, there was really nothing to tell.

Ryan felt increasingly disappointed as the days went by without him meeting Colin again. He couldn't really explain why this man had affected him so much. He'd just felt an instant connection to him, almost as if they'd known each other for years.

“I'm sure you'll bump into him again, Ryan.”

Ryan came out of his thoughts and looked over at his partner in the driving seat who was smiling at him reassuringly. Greg had noticed Ryan staring off into space a lot more than usual and it wasn't difficult to work out why, after all he'd seen Ryan's crestfallen expression every morning despite Ryan's efforts to hide it.  
Ryan opened his mouth to answer but the sudden blare of the police radio drew their attention.

“Unit 9, do you copy?”

Ryan picked up the radio and held it to his mouth. “This is unit 9; go ahead, dispatch.”

“Unit 9, we have reports of a 10-71 in progress near your location. Are you able to attend, over?”

Ryan looked over at Greg as he responded. “Affirmative dispatch. What's the address, over?”

Greg started the engine as the address was provided and pulled away quickly, hitting the sirens.

“10-4,” Ryan acknowledged, putting the radio back and sitting back as they sped through the streets. 10-71 was the police code for a shooting so they both knew it was serious and could possibly be a homicide.

They arrived at the specified address, a large apartment building, within a few minutes. Both of them took out their guns and held them ready as they moved carefully inside and up the stairs. When they reached the right apartment, they went to either side of it the closed door before knocking.

“LAPD, open up!”

When there was no response Ryan kicked the door in and they entered the apartment, alert for any movement or possible danger. A man was lying on the floor by one of the windows, unmoving and bleeding heavily from a bullet wound to the shoulder. Ryan went to check him while Greg searched the rest of the apartment.

“All clear,” he said as he returned. “Looks like whoever did this is long gone. How's he looking?”

“He's lost a lot of blood,” Ryan replied, grabbing a towel and holding it firmy over the wound.

“I'll call it in and request an ambulance,” Greg said, moving to the door quickly.

While he was gone Ryan studied the victim's pale face. He was young, definitely no older than twenty, and looked fairly well off if his apartment was anything to go by. Ryan idly wondered how he'd ended up like this. Maybe he'd fallen in with the wrong crowd; after all, that was easy to do in this town. So many people came here looking for fame and fortune, only to be dragged down by crime and drugs. He searched the man's pockets with his free hand and found a wallet, opening it up to look for any identification.

“Aha,” he said, finding the drivers licence. “Patrick Monroe, date of birth June 10th 1984.” He looked back down at the man's face and said, “Hi, Patrick. You're going to be okay, you hear me?”

Greg came back in a few minutes later. The towel Ryan was using to stem the bleeding was rapidly getting saturated and he had to keep checking the man's pulse.

“Where are the damn paramedics?” he said impatiently after several more minutes had passed.

“Here,” a voice said from the doorway and Ryan looked up to see two paramedics rushing in. His mouth fell open in shock as his gaze locked with a pair of familiar hazel eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Colin only faltered slightly as he recognized Ryan, giving him a quick smile. Ryan, meanwhile, was staring at him in complete astonishment.

“What have we got?” Colin asked, swiftly dropping to his knees beside the victim.

Ryan shook himself out of his daze and tried to concentrate. “Patrick Monroe; single gunshot wound to the right shoulder. He's lost a lot of blood.”

Colin checked the man's pulse before lifting Ryan's hand to look at the wound, and Ryan's heart flipped unexpectedly at his touch. Ryan's reaction to Colin's arrival hadn't gone unnoticed by Greg, who was smirking broadly behind them.

While Colin's younger partner was busy checking the man's airway and putting an oxygen mask over his face, Colin opened his kit and began removing various items. Ryan watched him bandage the wound securely, effectively stopping the bleeding, before preparing to insert a needle into a vein in the man's arm.

“Can you go and grab the stretcher, Brad?” Colin asked without looking up from his task.

“Sure.” His partner got up and left the room as Colin patted the vein. Ryan looked away as the needle went in, having never been comfortable with them. He looked back to see Colin attaching the drip and was impressed with his calm professionalism.

“Is he gonna be okay?” Ryan asked, breaking the silence.

“He should be,” Colin replied confidently. “Here, hold this up for me.”

He handed Ryan the saline bag, proceeding to gather up his things, and Ryan was suddenly at a loss for what to say as he watched him.

Colin looked up and caught his eye. “So have you had your dose of caffeine this morning?” he asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” Ryan grinned. “ _And_ I managed to drink it without throwing it over anybody too.”

Colin’s chuckle made Ryan feel a little giddy. Unfortunately, Brad chose that moment to return with the stretcher. He was followed by several crime scene investigators, who Greg went over to deal with. Once Patrick was strapped onto the stretcher the three of them got to their feet and lifted it carefully.

“Can I go with him?” Ryan asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. “I'll need to take a statement when he regains consciousness.”

Okay, it was a pathetic excuse. He could have quite easily made his own way to the hospital, but he didn't want Colin to disappear again too soon. Brad obviously thought the same thing and looked over at him suspiciously, but didn't comment as they moved towards the door.

“No problem,” Colin replied easily.

Ryan tried not to look too happy, only partially succeeding. He called to Greg to let him know where he was going and Greg grinned, surreptitiously giving him the thumbs up.

 

It worked out perfectly for Ryan. After loading Patrick into the ambulance Brad climbed into the front to drive, so Ryan was left sitting in the back with Colin as they set off with sirens blaring. Colin took the saline bag from him and attached it to a hook above Patrick's head.

“So, how long have you been doing this?” Ryan asked. 

Colin was busy checking Patrick's vitals and writing them on a chart. “Eighteen years,” he replied without looking up.

“Wow,” Ryan replied, impressed. “What made you want to become a paramedic?”

“What made you want to be a cop?” Colin countered, glancing up briefly at him.

Ryan shrugged. “Just wanted to help people I guess.”

“Snap,” Colin replied with a smile which Ryan found himself automatically returning. He was feeling more and more like a kid with a crush and couldn't tear his gaze away from Colin's face.

“You know your accent sounds familiar,” Ryan said, trying to cover the awkward moment. “Where did you grow up?”

“Canada.”

“That's it. Which part?”

Colin looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Do you interrogate everyone like this?” he asked, eyes twinkling in amusement.

Ryan cursed himself inwardly for being too pushy. “Sorry,” he said out loud. “I guess it's the cop in me. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.”

Colin laughed. “It's okay, I'm just messing with you. I grew up in Vancouver and moved down here when I was in my twenties.”

“Really?” Ryan asked in surprise. “I spent part of my childhood in Vancouver.”

“It's a small world,” Colin smiled, checking Patrick's blood pressure. “Any more questions, officer?”

Of course there was one question that Ryan really wanted to ask but he was desperately trying to pluck up the courage. However, before he could form the words, the ambulance screeched to a halt and the doors were thrown open.

There was a bustle of activity as Patrick was unloaded and Colin jumped out to relay the status of his condition to the waiting medics. Ryan swore under his breath and got out reluctantly, wishing the journey could have lasted just a few more minutes. Patrick was rushed into the hospital and Ryan started to follow as Colin turned back towards him.

“Well, it was nice to see you again, Ryan,” Colin smiled as they met in the middle. “And this time I'm leaving relatively unscathed.”

Ryan grinned and realized it was now or never. He opened his mouth, looking into Colin's eyes, but abruptly lost his nerve. He floundered for a moment before settling on, “Yeah, I'll see you around.”

Colin studied him for a moment and then nodded and Ryan turned away, cursing his own cowardice as he walked towards the hospital entrance. As he reached the doors he felt a hand on his arm and turned, surprised to see that Colin had caught up with him.

“Hey, I was just wondering if you'd like to grab a coffee after my shift finishes.”

Ryan stared at him, rendered momentarily speechless, and Colin smiled, holding his hands up. “You don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought you might like to continue your interrogation.”

“Sure,” Ryan croaked before clearing his throat. “I'd like that.” He could see Brad standing impatiently in the background with his arms crossed, but couldn't care less.

“Great,” Colin grinned. “I finish at six so shall we say six thirty at the coffee house?”

Ryan started to say it's a date but quickly changed it to, “Sure.”

“Okay,” Colin said as he started to walk back to Brad, “I'll see you then.”

Ryan's steps were a lot lighter as he walked through the hospital's automatic doors.


	4. Chapter 4

Ryan arrived at the coffee house early and sat at a table facing the door, his stomach full of butterflies. He'd had to endure a whole afternoon of incessant teasing from Greg, and later Chip, but didn't let it bother him because he was ridiculously happy. Luckily his shift had finished on time and he'd been able to go home and get changed into something more comfortable, although he'd changed his shirt five times before settling on the dark blue one he was wearing now.

He glanced at his watch, jiggling his leg like he always did when he was nervous, and let his eyes wander over the other tables. The place was fairly quiet for the time of day, with only a few customers scattered throughout, and he was able pick up the odd word from different conversations around him. He'd always found it interesting to watch people interact, studying their behaviour. 

His gaze came to rest on an old couple by the window. It was obvious by the way they sat and conversed that they had been together for many years, having that effortless companionship that only exists between two people who know everything about each other. As he watched them, Ryan found himself wanting that too—to grow old with someone who knew his every flaw, but loved him unconditionally.

“Hey, Ryan,” Lucy said in surprise as she stopped beside his table. Ryan was jolted out of his thoughts and looked up at her as she continued. “I wasn't expecting to see you here. What can I get you?”

“Nothing at the moment thanks,” he replied with a warm smile. “I'm meeting someone.”

“Oh!” Lucy said, comprehension dawning on her face. “Who's the lucky guy?”

“He's... wait, how do you know it's a guy?” Ryan asked in amazement.

“Oh, I've had you figured out for a while now, honey,” Lucy smiled. “Damn shame for us ladies, though.”

Ryan was momentarily thrown by this revelation and the unexpected compliment that accompanied it.

“So,” Lucy pressed, “who are you meeting?”

“Do you remember the guy I spilt coffee over the other morning?”

“Oh, of course, the _coffee_ guy,” Lucy said, slapping her forehead for not thinking of him. “You know, I _thought_ you guys shared a moment. So is this like a first date?”

“Hopefully,” Ryan replied, glancing at the door as someone entered and feeling a stab of disappointment when it wasn't Colin. “I don't even know if he likes me that way, but I felt an instant connection. I just hope it wasn't one-sided.”

“Trust me,” Lucy said, sitting down opposite him and covering his hand with hers. “I saw the way he looked at you and I can say for certain that it wasn't one-sided.”

Ryan smiled and patted her hand. “Thanks, Lucy, you're a diamond.”

“You know I think there's a song to do with that,” she grinned.

“Am I interrupting something?” a familiar voice said.

Ryan and Lucy both looked up at Colin, whipping their hands away and looking like two deer caught in headlights. Colin couldn't help chuckling at their identical guilty expressions and Ryan was thoroughly relieved that he hadn't jumped to the wrong conclusion.

“I believe that's my seat,” Colin said good-naturedly to Lucy, who was still staring up at him. Ryan took the opportunity to let his eyes wander up and down Colin's body as he stood there. He'd changed out of his uniform and was wearing black pants with a red, short-sleeved shirt. The top few buttons of the shirt were undone, revealing the beginnings of a firm chest covered with a sprinkling of hairs.

“Oh, of course,” Lucy said, looking flustered as she got up. “What can I get you guys?”

Colin slid into the seat opposite Ryan and replied, “I'll just have a regular coffee please.”

“Make that two, thanks Lucy,” Ryan said with a smile. “So,” he continued once she'd gone, “how was the rest of your day?”

“Pretty good actually,” Colin said, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on the table. “Well, no one died so that's got to be good, right?”

“I can't argue with that,” Ryan grinned, instantly feeling completely at ease.

“Did you manage to find out who shot Patrick?” Colin asked curiously.

“Of course,” Ryan replied, pretending to look indignant. “Did you doubt my detective skills?”

Colin laughed and held his hands up. “No, I was just wondering who it was... honest.”

“Well it turned out to be the girlfriend,” Ryan replied easily, “but we've got her in custody now and it looks like Patrick's gonna be okay. You know, it never ceases to amaze me what people who claim to love each other are capable of.”

“You and me both.” Colin nodded. “I've seen the results of so-called love first-hand and I don't think I'll ever get used to it.”

Ryan studied him for a moment thoughtfully. “I don't think I could do your job. I mean, how do you deal with losing the people you can't save?”

Colin looked down at his hands and Ryan immediately regretted asking. “It's difficult,” Colin said after a moment, “especially when it's a kid. Sometimes you want to give up, but you've got to carry on for the ones who _can_ be saved.”

“Sorry, I shouldn't have asked.”

Colin looked up and smiled warmly. “It's okay, you don't need to apologise.”

Lucy came over with the coffees at that point, which lightened the mood somewhat.

“So,” Colin said, taking a sip and sitting back in his seat, “are you going to continue your earlier interrogation or should I just confess?”

Ryan shrugged. “That depends. What have you got to confess?”

“Hmm...” Colin tapped his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. “I'll confess that I'm glad we bumped into each other again today. How's that?”

Ryan smiled, swallowing a mouthful of coffee before replying. “It's a good start... and I am too. What else?”

“Oh no,” Colin said, shaking his head firmly, “that was a freebie. You've got to work for anything more.”

“I always enjoy a good challenge,” Ryan smirked, rubbing his hands together.

 

He spent the next few hours questioning Colin on everything and anything, while also giving away plenty of information about himself. Neither of them really noticed the time going by as they relaxed in each other's company and drank endless coffees. They discovered that they shared pretty similar tastes and opinions on most things, but it seemed that Colin had noticed that Ryan had skirted around the real question and he eventually called him on it when there was a brief lull in the conversation.

“Why don't you ask about what you really want to know, Ryan?”

Ryan looked up from his cup sharply and swallowed, but Colin was smiling at him reassuringly so he decided to take the plunge. “Okay,” he began nervously. “Are you... I mean, do you... ah...”

Colin decided to take pity on him at that point. “Yes and yes,” he said firmly.

Ryan frowned at him, making Colin smile even more. “Yes and yes what?”

Colin looked him in the eyes steadily as he leaned forward. “Yes, I’m gay, and yes, I like you,” he said softly. “And before you ask, no, I'm not seeing anyone at the moment.”

Ryan felt a massive surge of relief and couldn't stop the massive grin which lit up his face. “Good, because I like you too,” he said quietly. He shook his head and chuckled. “You know we sound like kids in a school playground.”

Colin laughed. “Yeah, we do a bit.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Hey, meet me behind the bleachers after third period.”

Now it was Ryan's turn to laugh. “Anytime.”

As he finished what must have been his tenth coffee, Ryan looked down at the empty cup. “I don't think either of us are going to get any sleep tonight.”

“That's a bit presumptuous of you, isn't it?” Colin smirked.

Ryan suddenly realized how his words could have been misconstrued and flushed scarlet. Colin, seeing his discomfort, chuckled and placed his hand on top of Ryan's. “Relax, I was kidding.”

Ryan smiled sheepishly, enjoying the warmth of Colin's hand on his and hoping he wouldn't take it away for a while. He didn't, and they continued to talk until every other customer had left and Lucy was preparing to close up.

“Okay, you two,” she finally said with a grin when they showed no signs of leaving. “Don't you have homes to go to?”

Ryan glanced at his watch and was shocked at how late it was; it had hardly seemed like any time at all. They paid for their drinks, bid Lucy goodnight, and began to walk home together.

As fate would have it, Colin only lived a couple of blocks over from Ryan. They both found it amazing that they'd never met before. The only reason they'd met at work that day was because Colin had recently changed his shifts, having been covering nights.

The evening had turned a little chilly and Ryan noticed Colin shiver slightly as they walked side by side. He took off his jacket and put it around Colin's shoulders, receiving a grateful smile in return.

They continued to chat happily until they reached Colin's apartment block. Ryan felt his earlier nerves return in full force as they stopped at the door to the building and Colin took his jacket off, handing it back with a smile.

“Thanks for tonight, Ry. I had a really good time.”

Ryan grinned, deciding he liked the abbreviation of his name. “Me too, Col.”

Colin raised his eyebrows at the name and smirked.

“So,” Ryan continued awkwardly, shuffling his feet, “can we do this again soon?”

“Sure,” Colin replied immediately. “Give me your number and I'll give you mine.”

They swapped cell phones and added their numbers before handing them back. There was silence for a moment as Ryan loitered, trying to decide how best to say goodnight.

Colin chuckled and shook his head. “Come here,” he said, cupping Ryan's face and pulling him into a kiss.

For a moment Ryan was sure he'd died and gone to heaven. Colin's lips were warm and surprisingly soft, but before he could properly relax into it Colin stepped back with a smile.

“Goodnight, Ry.”

“Goodnight,” Ryan croaked. As Colin turned and opened the door, Ryan called, “Hey, Col?” and Colin looked back questioningly. “Does this mean we're... you know...?”

“Together?” Colin asked with a smile and Ryan nodded awkwardly. “Sure,” Colin continued, “if you want us to be.”

Ryan could only nod mutely. Colin's smile widened as he turned and headed into the building, the door closing behind him. Ryan stood and stared at it for a minute in a daze, then slowly began the journey home. He could smell Colin's scent on his jacket as he walked and he smiled, suddenly feeling on top of the world.


	5. Chapter 5

Ryan was ecstatic when Colin called him the following morning. Due to work commitments, they wouldn't be able to meet up again for several days, which dampened Ryan's mood slightly, but he took comfort in the fact that they both had that Saturday off so would be able to spend the entire day together.

Of course, the moment he arrived at work he was bombarded with questions.

“So, how'd it go?” Chip asked as soon as he walked through the door.

Ryan turned and glared at Greg. He should have known he would never keep it to himself.

“He dragged it out of me,” Greg shrugged, looking only slightly apologetic.

“Oh come on, Ryan,” Chip pressed, nudging his arm. “Tell me what happened... please? Did you get lucky?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Ryan rolled his eyes in exasperation as he sat down. “We had an enjoyable evening, chatting and drinking coffee. That's all you need to know.”

Chip pouted, perching on the edge of Ryan's desk. “You've gotta give me more than that.”

Ryan opened his mouth and paused, building up the suspense, while Chip looked at him hopefully. “No.”

Chip looked like someone had just kicked his puppy and Ryan couldn't help laughing.

“Well at least tell us if you kissed him,” Greg said encouragingly as he sat down at his desk, having been unable to get any information himself, and Ryan finally relented.

“No, I didn't kiss him,” he replied, enjoying the looks of disappointment on both of their faces before continuing, “he kissed _me_.”

Chip shrieked and bounced up and down, drawing the attention of several people nearby, and Ryan grinned in spite of himself.

“I knew it,” he yelled, forcing Ryan to shush him. “Oh, I'm so happy for you,” he continued more quietly. “What was it like?”

Ryan thought back to the moment and smiled. “Perfect.”

“Oh man, he's got it bad,” Greg smirked, dodging a pen Ryan threw his way.

“So when are we gonna meet him?” Chip asked hopefully.

“We've only been on one date, Chip. I'm not gonna let you loose on him for a while yet.”

“Let him loose on who?” Jeff frowned as he joined them.

“Ryan's got a boyfriend,” Chip answered smugly before Ryan could get a word in.

“Wow, good for you Ryan,” Jeff said sincerely, clapping him on the back.

“Thanks, Jeff. It's still early days though.”

“What's that, Stiles? You finally found someone desperate enough to date you?” a scornful voice said behind them. 

Wayne Brady was one of the few in the force who was openly homophobic, never passing up an opportunity to stick the knife in. Ryan didn't let it get to him though. Wayne was more of an irritation than anything else, a bit like a whining mosquito.

Ryan smiled cheerfully and turned around. “You'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Wayne?” he asked. “At least I don't have to deflate my date at the end of the evening.”

Greg snorted loudly and Wayne glared at him before squaring up to Ryan, who was considerably taller and didn't look in the least bit threatened.

“Come on, break it up you two before the chief sees you,” Jeff interjected, always the voice of reason in a tense situation.

Wayne deliberately knocked his shoulder into Ryan as he walked away.

“God, he's an asshole,” Greg muttered, watching him go.

“Oh just ignore him,” Ryan said, smiling inwardly at Greg's anger on his behalf. “He's not worth wasting your energy on. Come on, we'd better get going.”

 

The day dragged a little for Ryan, although he kept thinking back to the previous night which made it more bearable. They were almost at the end of their shift when a call came through requesting urgent assistance at a major traffic accident. Greg immediately hit the sirens and accelerated through the streets.

A scene of carnage awaited them at the scene on the highway. At least ten cars were involved in the pile-up, some of them barely recognizable; just twisted pieces of jagged metal. Ryan and Greg got out of the car, realizing they were the first on scene, and ran to check for survivors. The air was filled with the stench of gasoline and there was an eerie silence, broken only by the distant sound of approaching sirens.

The first car Ryan checked had a single occupant, who was clearly dead. He grimaced before running to the next car, relieved to see a woman who was alive but unconscious, pinned in her seat by the steering column. He opened the passenger door, the only one that wasn't crumpled inwards, and a whimper from the back seat drew his attention to a five or six year old girl who had a nasty gash on her head.

“Hey there,” he said softly so as not to frighten her. “What's your name?”

“Bella,” the girl replied quietly.

“Hi Bella,” he said gently. “I'm Ryan and I'm a police officer. We're gonna get you out of here okay?”

“What about my mom?” she said, beginning to cry.

“We're gonna get your mom out too Bella, I promise,” Ryan said as Greg joined him.

“There's at least five dead,” he whispered to Ryan. “Three others have managed to climb out with just a few scratches and bruises and there are a couple of people trapped in cars further down, but I can't get to them.”

“Okay,” Ryan replied quietly. “Stay with them and wait for the other emergency services to arrive. I'll stay here.”

The sirens were getting louder as he spoke and a screech of tyres heralded the arrival of several ambulances and fire trucks.

He turned back to the little girl as Greg left. “It's okay, Bella, help is on the way.”

“You know, we've really got to stop meeting like this,” a voice said beside him.

He turned to see Colin starting to check the woman in the front seat as Brad went around to the other side to reach her more easily.

Ryan grinned, very happy to see him despite the horrific circumstances. “Hey, Bella?” Ryan called. “This is my friend, Colin. He's going to make you and your mom feel better.”

Colin let Brad take over in the front and smiled at Ryan briefly before turning his attention to the little girl. “Hello, Bella, that's a very pretty name.” Bella managed a small smile. “Can you tell me where it hurts, honey?”

“My head and my leg,” she said, her bottom lip wobbling.

“It's alright,” Colin said gently. “I'm gonna climb in to get a better look at you, okay?”

“Hey Colin,” Brad called warningly. “There's a hell of a lot of gasoline leaking out underneath the car. You should wait for the fire service.”

Colin popped his head out of the car briefly as Ryan looked at the leak for himself. The firefighters were trying to free the people trapped in cars further down and putting out small fires which had sprung up in the twisted wreckage.

“They're busy at the moment and we might not have much time,” Colin said, beginning to climb into the back seat. Ryan put out a hand to stop him, looking worried. “I'll be fine, Ry,” Colin reassured him gently. “Let me go help Bella.”

Ryan reluctantly loosened his hold and watched nervously as Colin made his way over to her.

“Right, Bella, I'm just gonna take a look, okay?” Colin said, waiting for her approval before examining her head wound, working his way down her body. When he reached her leg, which was pinned by the crumpled door, she let out a cry of pain.

“I'm sorry, honey,” he said sincerely. “I promise I'll make it better.”

He turned to Ryan, who was still watching closely. “Can you pass my kit please, Ry?”

Ryan looked around and grabbed it, passing it over carefully. Colin thanked him and quickly took out what he needed. Ryan grimaced when he saw him remove a needle, which didn't go unnoticed by Colin. He smiled slightly as he prepared the injection.

“Right, Bella,” Colin said. “You're going to feel a sharp scratch on your arm, but it'll make the pain in your leg go away. Okay?”

Bella nodded and looked away, scrunching up her face as Colin quickly injected the analgesic.

“Well done,” he said a moment later. “You know, you're braver than a lot of grown-ups I've treated. We'll have to tell your mom that later, won't we?” She gave him an answering smile and he pointed to the bear she was clutching. “Who's this?”

“Charlie,” she whispered.

“Ah, and is Charlie hurt anywhere?”

“I think he bumped his head like me,” she said, cuddling the bear closer.

“Well, I'll have to put a bandage on him too then, won't I?” 

Ryan smiled as he watched Colin expertly handle Bella, taking her mind off the situation, and felt his admiration for him grow considerably.

The firefighters had finally begun to free Bella's mother from the front, under the watchful gaze of Brad who was monitoring her vital signs closely. They were unable to use anything which would create sparks due to the leaking gasoline and that slowed the process down considerably. A loud boom sounded when one of the other cars went up in flames nearby, making all of them jump.

“Okay guys,” the fire chief said loudly to his crew freeing the trapped woman. “We need to hurry up this up.” He looked at Ryan, whose heart rate had increased considerably. “Can you move everyone back to a safe distance, officer? We can handle it from here.”

Ryan looked back at Colin, plainly torn between his duty and his need to stay by Colin's side.

“I'll be fine, Ry,” Colin told him. “Go on.”

With a pained expression Ryan got out of the car and walked away, hating his feeling of complete helplessness.


	6. Chapter 6

Ryan stood with Greg, holding the crowd of curious onlookers back, and felt sick to his stomach as the seconds ticked by, wanting nothing more than to run back to the car and drag Colin out of there. Greg noticed his agitation and tried to reassure him but without much success; all of Ryan's attention was focused on the crumpled car and the huddle of firefighters surrounding it. They had managed to free Bella's mother, who had been rushed by Brad to a waiting helicopter, and were now working on freeing Bella. She was the last survivor in the line of mangled wreckage; all the other people who had been trapped in their cars had already been taken to hospital.

There was a sudden buzz of activity around the car and the crowd behind Ryan and Greg pushed forwards slightly to get a better look. Ryan felt a surge of relief as Colin finally emerged, carrying Bella, and quickly made his way to a nearby ambulance to let another team take over while the firefighters made the crash site safe.

“Greg—”

“I got it,” Greg assured him. “Go.”

When Ryan found Colin, Brad was talking quietly to him as they watched the ambulance speed off. Brad noticed Ryan approaching and murmured something to Colin, which made him turn and smile, but before he could utter a word, Ryan had pulled him into a hug.

“Hey, I'm fine,” Colin said gently, his hands automatically moving up to return the embrace as Brad stood looking uncomfortable.

“Just humor me for a minute,” Ryan murmured, closing his eyes and refusing to let go.

Brad cleared his throat loudly after a few moments and Ryan reluctantly stepped back, smiling sheepishly at Colin who smiled back softly.

“Oh sorry,” Colin said abruptly, looking between them. “I haven't properly introduced you two, have I? Ryan, this is Brad... Brad, Ryan.”

“Hi,” Ryan said, holding out his hand with a smile.

Brad reached to shake it with little enthusiasm. “Hey.” Ryan saw him narrow his eyes slightly, as if trying to work him out, before he turned to Colin. ”I'll be in the ambulance, okay?” 

“Man, he really doesn't like me, does he?” Ryan remarked, shaking his head in amusement as Brad walked away.

“Oh, don't mind Brad,” Colin said reassuringly, waving a hand. ”He's just a little over-protective, that's all. I'm sure he'll love you once he gets to know you.”

“Uh-huh, I wish I shared your optimism,” Ryan sighed, then remembered the little girl. “Hey, will Bella be okay?”

“Her leg's badly broken and she's got a slight concussion, but she should be fine.”

“And her mom?”

“I don't know,” Colin replied grimly, rubbing a hand across his face. ”She suffered severe crush injuries to her abdomen. They won't know the extent of the damage until they can get her to hospital, but she has a good chance. She's in the best hands now.”

“Just like Bella was,” Ryan said sincerely, taking hold of Colin's hand and rubbing it. ”You were great in there.”

Colin smiled, both at the compliment and the open gesture of affection, and shrugged. “Part of the job.”

They stood smiling at one another for a moment and Ryan found himself getting lost in Colin's gaze, his body subconsciously shifting closer. Then he noticed Greg walking over out of the corner of his eye and groaned, knowing he couldn't put this meeting off any longer.

“The crowd's dispersed now the excitement's over and our shift has officially finished,” Greg told Ryan with a grin as he reached them, aware that he'd interrupted an intimate moment. He ignored Ryan's scowl and looked at Colin with interest.

“Hi, I'm Greg, Ryan's partner. On the police force, that is,” he smirked, holding out his hand as Ryan looked resigned to the inevitable embarrassment.

Colin shook his hand firmly. “Colin,” he said, glancing at Ryan's expression with a grin, “Ryan's partner off the force... does that make us some weird kind of threesome?”

Greg snorted, turning to a flushed, open-mouthed Ryan. “I like him already.” 

“So tell me Greg, does he always get embarrassed this easily?” Colin asked, eyes twinkling in amusement.

Greg gave him a mischievous grin. “Only when he's around someone he _really_ likes.”

“Okay, that's enough you two,” Ryan said, having turned a nice shade of red.

Greg and Colin burst into laughter. “Sorry, Ry,” Colin said, putting an arm around him, “I just couldn't resist.”

“So Colin,” Greg said, noticing the smile Ryan couldn't keep hidden, “does your shift finish soon? We could all go out for a drink.”

“I'd like that, but unfortunately I've still got a few more hours,” Colin replied with a sigh, “and I really should get going. Another time though.”

“You bet,” Greg grinned.

Colin picked up his kit and put his hand on Ryan's arm. “I'll call you later, okay?”

Ryan nodded. “Sure.”

“It was nice to meet you properly, Greg,” Colin smiled and Greg called, “Likewise,” as Colin walked away, glancing back over his shoulder with a grin and a wave.

As Ryan watched him climb into the ambulance with Brad, Greg clapped him on the back. “You've found a good 'un there, Ryan. Don't let him go.”

“I don't intend to.”

 

Saturday couldn't come soon enough for Ryan. He'd spoken to Colin on the phone several times since the day of the accident, but it wasn't the same; the simple fact was that he missed him. He woke up early on Saturday morning and jumped out of bed enthusiastically. This was a rarity for him as he was most certainly _not_ a morning person, but he couldn't help being excited at the prospect of an entire day in Colin's company. He had arranged to pick Colin up from his apartment, since he already knew where it was, and then they were going to have a picnic in a park a few blocks away and just hang out. Neither of them wanted to do anything too taxing on their day off as they were both exhausted from a difficult week.

He arrived at Colin's apartment a little early and felt the familiar flutter of nerves as he knocked on the door.

“Just a second,” Colin's voice called and Ryan's heart lurched at the sound.

A few moments later the door opened to reveal a casually dressed Colin, smiling brightly. “Hey, Ry, I just need two minutes, okay? Come in.” He proceeded to disappear into another room as Ryan hesitantly stepped inside and closed the door.

It was a nice apartment, the decor of which seemed to match Colin's personality; warm and inviting. As he looked around curiously, Ryan heard a mewling sound coming from the vicinity of his feet and looked down to see a pretty tabby cat rubbing up against his leg in a blatant attempt to get attention.

“Hello,” Ryan said as he bent down and stroked under the cat's chin. “Aren't you sweet?”

“Don't believe it for a second,” Colin said with a snort as he came back in, pulling on a sweater. “He's just luring you into a false sense of security, aren't you, Socrates?”

Ryan grinned and continued to stroke the cat as Colin grabbed his keys. 

“Okay, I'm all yours,” Colin said, walking over to them. “Or have I already lost you to the cat?”

“No,” Ryan laughed as he stood up, much to the annoyance of Socrates who immediately increased his efforts for attention. Colin grabbed the cat and deposited him on the couch and they both managed to get out the door and close it quickly before he could reach them.

Ryan was pleasantly surprised when he was immediately pulled into a kiss. “Hi,” Colin said with a smile as he pulled back.

“Hi,” Ryan grinned, part of him wishing they could just go back into the apartment and stay there all day.

Colin smirked, almost as if he'd read Ryan's thoughts, and gestured forward. “After you.”

 

It turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable, relaxing day—certainly the happiest day off Ryan could ever remember having. He didn't usually like sitting around and doing nothing, being the sort of person who preferred to keep busy at all times, but when he was with Colin it didn't seem to matter. It was enough just to chat and laugh together in their own little world, oblivious to everything around them.

By late afternoon they were both lying on the picnic blanket contentedly, Colin's head resting on Ryan's chest, and watching the clouds drift by, seeing what shapes they could make out.

“Elephant,” Ryan said, pointing to a fat, lumpy one. 

“Mmm. That one looks like a train,” Colin murmured.

“Hey, those two clouds are mating,” Ryan exclaimed, watching two medium clouds merging to become a larger one.

Colin snorted. “If that's true, I don't even want to _think_ about what rain actually is.” He felt the rumble of laughter vibrate through his head and grinned. “Hey look, that one's definitely a dragon,” he said, pointing to a particularly fluffy cloud right overhead.

Ryan squinted at it, tilting his head. “No, it looks more like a bear.”

“Oh come on, it doesn't look anything like a bear. What sort of a bear has wings, hmm?”

“A dead one?” Ryan said with a grin.

Colin laughed and looked up at him. “Nice try, but it's clearly a dragon.”

Ryan shook his head firmly. “Bear.”

“Right,” Colin said, sitting up abruptly and turning to face him, “this calls for drastic action.”

Before Ryan could ask what he meant, Colin had launched an attack and was tickling him mercilessly. Ryan shrieked and tried to grab his hands, giggling uncontrollably.

Colin quickly discovered that Ryan was most sensitive on his sides and concentrated his efforts there with a grin. “Aha, I've found the chink in your armor, officer,” he said triumphantly. “Do you surrender?”

“Never,” Ryan managed to gasp and, summoning all his strength, he pushed Colin sideways onto the floor and pinned him down firmly, their faces inches apart.

“Nice move,” Colin smirked, his eyes sparkling, as Ryan tried to catch his breath.

“Now what are you gonna do?” Ryan challenged.

Colin chose to answer by lifting his head and kissing him firmly. Ryan responded eagerly, pressing him back down, and Colin pulled his hand free and placed it on the back of Ryan's head to hold him in place. Ryan was unable to suppress a moan as Colin opened his mouth, their tongues meeting and entwining, loving the taste of him. If he thought their last two kisses were good, this one blew them out of the water.

A little while later, Ryan pulled back in a daze and looked down at Colin's smug expression. “Okay,” conceded with a smile. “You win that one.”


	7. Chapter 7

Ryan was happier than he'd ever been before, his relationship with Colin going from strength to strength. They had been on several more dates since the picnic and Ryan now felt comfortable showing his affection more openly, knowing Colin always welcomed it. They hadn't gone any further than kissing yet, both agreeing that their relationship was too important to ruin by going too fast. Ryan wasn't sure how much longer he could take the go slow approach, though; Colin lit a fire within him that was difficult to control.

“Hey, do you want to come to a barbeque at my place this weekend?” Greg asked as they worked through a large pile of paperwork on their desks. It was nearing the end of their shift and Ryan was counting down the minutes, looking forward to meeting Colin after work.

“I don’t know,” Ryan replied. “It depends what Col's plans are.”

“Well I was referring to both of you,” Greg said, rolling his eyes. “Come on, everyone's dying to meet him.”

“Mmm, I’m not sure,” Ryan said dubiously.

“Well, I guess I'll just ask Colin then,” Greg said cheerily, looking over Ryan's shoulder towards the door.

Ryan turned in his seat and looked momentarily shocked as he saw Colin make his way through the crowd, still in his uniform.

“Oh, he's cute,” Chip said, appearing out of nowhere at Ryan’s shoulder.

“Hey, hands off,” Ryan warned, elbowing him away.

“Take it easy, man,” Chip said, holding up his hands. “It was just an observation, that's all.”

“Hey,” Colin smiled as he reached them. “I was in the area so I thought I'd meet you here—saves travelling all the way across town and back.”

“You don't need to convince me,” Ryan grinned, trying to ignore Chip who was bouncing excitedly next to him. Figuring he might as well get it out of the way, he said, “Col, this is my friend Chip. He's been dying to meet you.”

“Hi,” Colin smiled, holding out a hand.

Chip grasped it firmly.“Nice to meet you Colin,” he said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “We're all so happy Ryan's found you. He's not _nearly_ so grumpy now.”

Ryan looked indignant and Colin chuckled. “Glad I could help.” He moved to perch on the edge of Ryan's desk, next to his chair, and heard Ryan muttering mutinously under his breath as he continued to work. Ryan's left hand automatically moved to rest on Colin's leg, instinctively needing the contact.

“Hey, Col,” Greg interjected. Colin idly wondered when everyone had decided to abbreviate his name. “We're having a barbeque at my place this Saturday if you're interested. I couldn't get a straight answer out of Ryan.”

Greg noticed with a small smile that Colin was absentmindedly entwining his fingers with Ryan's as he replied. “I'll have to check my shifts, but sure, sounds like fun.”

Ryan snorted as he finally finished the last of his paperwork and stacked it neatly. “You won't be saying that when they're all interrogating you on Saturday.”

“Well, I've had some practice dealing with interrogation so I'm sure I can take it,” Colin grinned. Ryan looked up with a smile, squeezing his hand as he remembered their first date.

“Great,” Greg said, clapping his hands together. “It starts at four. It'll only be a few friends and neighbors.” He noticed Chip's expectant expression and added, “Yes, Chip, you and Jeff are invited too.”

“Okay,” Ryan said, abruptly getting to his feet and grabbing his jacket. “I'm all yours.”

“Damn straight,” Colin smirked.

 

Greg and his wife Jen owned a large house in the suburbs of L.A. where it was quieter and less congested. Ryan knew that their choice of location had a lot to do with the fact that they planned to start a family in the not too distant future.

It was a perfect day for a barbeque—sunny, warm, and not too breezy—but Ryan would have liked to give the whole thing a miss. For one thing, he wasn't keen on sharing Colin with everyone and wasting precious time off together, but mostly it was because he knew they were going to tease him mercilessly. Colin was looking forward to it though, so he accepted his fate with good grace.

When they arrived, Jen opened the door and smiled, immediately pulling Ryan into a hug. “Hey Ryan, it's been too long.”

Ryan couldn't help but return the smile. He'd known Jen almost as long as he'd known Greg. She was a genuinely caring kind of person, the sort of person you could talk to about anything without fear of being judged, and had been very supportive when he'd finally admitted he was gay. Everybody loved Jen, it was almost impossible not to, and she was absolutely the perfect person for Greg. Although he'd never admit it, Ryan had been very envious of their relationship when he'd been alone. That seemed a long time ago now.

He returned the hug. “It's good to see you, Jen; looking as gorgeous as ever, I see.”

She smiled at the compliment and turned her attention to Colin. “And you must be Colin.”

“Guilty as charged,” Colin grinned, accepting a hug also. “It's nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she smiled. “You've made quite an impression on the boys.”

“A good one, I hope,” Colin replied and she laughed, putting an arm around him and guiding him through the house to the backyard. Ryan followed the two of them, smiling as he listened to them chatting as if they were life-long friends.

The backyard was filled with about twenty people or so, standing in huddled groups and chatting, most of whom Ryan knew, albeit not very well. Jen led them both outside, introducing Colin to anyone he hadn't already met.

“Hey, Col,” Greg shouted in greeting when he saw him. He was standing next to the barbeque, wearing an apron which said _Danger: Man Cooking_.

“Nice to see you too, Greg,” Ryan called good-naturedly.

“Well I see you every day,” Greg shrugged. “I only get to see Colin when you're not monopolising him.”

Ryan looked indignant and Colin put an arm around his waist, unable to suppress a smile. Jeff and Chip walked over to join them, handing them each a cold beer.

“Hi Colin,” Jeff said warmly, holding out a hand, “I'm Jeff.”

“Nice to meet you,” Colin smiled, shaking his hand. “Are you a cop too?”

“Yeah, I'm Chip's partner. I apologize for him in advance.”

“Hey,” Chip exclaimed, shoving him sideways with a mock glare.

“What?” Jeff laughed. “You know you're gonna question him to within an inch of his life.”

“Well, Ryan won't tell us anything,” Chip said defensively, “and I need details.”

Colin took a sip of beer, watching the pair in amusement. “Okay, fire away.”

Chip looked triumphant. “Well, first of all, how exactly did you two meet?” he asked eagerly.

Ryan groaned and Colin glanced at him with a grin. “Well... Ryan threw coffee over me.”

Jeff, Chip, and Jen all burst into laughter and Ryan rolled his eyes.

“Wow, very subtle, Ryan,” Chip gasped once he'd brought his laughter under control. “I'll have to remember that one.”

“Okay, I need to hear this,” Greg called, wiping his brow and making his way over to stand next to Jen, who was wiping her eyes. 

Ryan gave an exasperated huff. “It wasn't like that. It was an accident—neither of us was looking where we were going.”

“Well he certainly made an impression,” Colin said, shrugging.

Greg snorted. “I'll bet.”

“Anyway,” Ryan continued loudly over the guffaws, “we got talking and the rest is history.”

“Oh, that's so romantic,” Chip gushed, holding a hand to his heart. “Who asked who out?”

“I did,” Colin told him. “I would have been waiting months if I'd left it to Ryan.”

“Hey!” Ryan protested, playfully nudging his shoulder and Colin laughed. 

“Well, I would have! I could see you were bottling out, so I had to make the first move.”

“I would have asked you out eventually,” Ryan grumbled.

Colin squeezed him gently, “I know, but think about how much time we would have wasted.” Ryan smiled in spite of himself and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Aww,” Chip sighed. “Aren't you two the cutest?”

Ryan glowered at him and Chip grinned back cheekily.

“Well, I'm very happy for you both,” Jen said warmly. “Everyone needs someone to share their life with.” She smiled tenderly at Greg, who kissed her hand.

“Um... Greg?” Jeff frowned, looking over Greg's shoulder. “Your burgers are on fire.”

“Fuck,” Greg cursed, rushing to try to salvage them. Jen shook her head and went over to help.

“And that's why I ate before we came,” Ryan smirked.

Despite the charcoaled food, Ryan had to admit that he enjoyed himself. He was relieved and a little proud that everyone had taken such a shine to Colin, whole-heartedly approving of his choice. They all seemed fascinated by Colin's job, asking endless questions about his most bizarre and memorable cases, but Colin didn't seem to mind talking constantly. Ryan stayed by his side all evening, happy to finally have someone to call his own. He'd always tried to avoid social gatherings in the past, fed up with the constant questions about when he was going to settle down, but now he was thoroughly content.

 

It was late when they returned to Colin's apartment. Colin threw down his keys and walked into the kitchen as Ryan looked around curiously. He'd only been there a few times and never long enough to get a proper look.

“Do you want a coffee?” Colin called.

“No thanks,” Ryan replied as he studied Colin's music collection with interest, relieved to see that there wasn't a Michael Bolton CD in sight.

“Anything to eat that isn't burnt?”

Ryan smirked. “No.”

“Well, what do you want?” Colin asked from just behind him, his voice amused. Ryan turned to smile at him and wrapped his arms around Colin's waist securely.

“You,” he replied softly, dipping his head for a kiss which started out gentle but quickly turned intense. Ryan moved forwards and pushed Colin up against the wall, pinning his hands above his head as they continued to kiss. He felt light-headed, both with desire and a lack of oxygen, and he was harder than he could ever remember being before. He was pleased to feel an answering hardness against his leg as he mapped every part of Colin's mouth with his tongue.

Colin abruptly broke the kiss, looking flushed and thoroughly ravishing. “Easy tiger,” he panted.

“Well, it's your fault,” Ryan replied, trailing kisses down his neck. “You shouldn't be so damn sexy.”

Colin rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes in pleasure, gasping when Ryan gently bit down on his pulse point. Ryan couldn't get enough of the taste and feel of Colin, sliding his hands down Colin's arms and lifting his shirt up to gain access to more of his soft, pale skin. When his hands started working on Colin's pants, however, Colin grabbed them and waited for Ryan to look into his eyes. “Are you sure?”

“I've never been more sure of anything in my life,” Ryan replied firmly before diving back in for another kiss. Colin had evidently been holding back up to that point because, when he heard the certainty in Ryan's voice, he sprang to life, kissing Ryan back with renewed vigour and ripping his shirt open. Ryan was only too happy to let him take the lead, moaning as Colin's fingers danced across his skin, every part of his body screaming for his touch.

Never breaking the kiss, Colin opened Ryan's pants, one hand working lower until his fingers closed around Ryan's rock hard erection. Ryan felt a jolt of pleasure rush through him and jerked uncontrollably, Colin smiling against his lips as he began torturously slow strokes. Ryan hadn't got any further than undoing the button on Colin's pants, his mission completely forgotten when Colin's talented hands had begun to work on him, but now he attacked Colin's clothes desperately, needing to see and feel more of him.

Ryan gasped, breaking the kiss, as Colin squeezed him gently and slightly increased his pace. “I'm not gonna last long if you keep doing that, Col,” he warned, but Colin only grinned in response.

Deciding it was time for payback, Ryan latched onto Colin's neck and reached down to grasp him firmly. It elicited a deep moan from Colin, whose hand faltered slightly in its task. Ryan sucked and nipped his way back up to Colin's mouth, as his hand copied Colin's movements, pausing a moment to enjoy the effect it was having on Colin, who was squeezing his eyes shut and breathing erratically. As Ryan watched, Colin suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him with fiery desire.

“Bed,” he growled.

It didn't take long for them to be lying naked and sweaty together, their hands and lips touching and caressing every inch of skin. Soft moans and gasps filled the room as they finally became one, gradually increasing in volume and intensity as they approached the end. The fact that they'd waited made it all the more exquisite, and when they both finally tumbled over the edge with equally loud shouts of joy, Ryan looked into Colin's eyes and was momentarily awed by their beauty, seeing into the depths of Colin's very soul. He felt a tidal wave of emotion overwhelm him as he shuddered through his completion, knowing without a doubt that, after years of waiting, he'd found the person he was meant to be with.

A little while later, as they lay happily wrapped around each other in post-orgasmic bliss, Ryan studied Colin's relaxed face. He had his eyes closed so Ryan took the opportunity to memorise every detail without feeling awkward.

“Col?” he said softly after several minutes.

“Mmm,” Colin replied sleepily without opening his eyes.

Ryan tried to get the words straight in his head before he spoke, then took a deep breath. “I know we haven't been together for very long, and I say this with absolutely no expectations, but...” He paused, trying to work up the courage to continue. “I'm in love with you.”

Colin's eyes snapped open and he gazed at Ryan, noting the apprehensive look in his eyes as he waited for a response. He felt his heart swell, lifting a hand to gently caress Ryan's face with a radiant smile before pulling him into the most tender of kisses. After a few moments he pulled back a little, letting his emotions shine through his eyes, and whispered one word.

“Snap.”


	8. Chapter 8

Ryan was woken up the next morning by a gentle kiss. He opened his eyes to see Colin perched on the edge of the bed, already in his uniform.

“Morning, sleepy,” Colin said, smiling softly.

Ryan groaned and rubbed his eyes. Judging by the dim light coming through the blinds it was still early, way too early to even think about getting up. On the pretence of stretching he swiftly grabbed Colin's arms and yanked him forward so that he was lying down half on top of him. Then he wrapped his arms around him securely and snuggled into him with a contented hum.

Colin chuckled and ran his fingers through Ryan's dark blond curls. “I've gotta go, Ry, I've got the early shift today.”

Ryan grumbled and tightened his hold. “Let's just call in sick and stay in bed all day.”

“I wish we could,” Colin sighed. “But, unfortunately, there are people counting on both of us.”

“Fuck 'em, I want to be with you,” Ryan replied, kissing Colin's neck. He paused for a moment then added with a smirk, “I could always handcuff you to the bed.” He felt more than heard Colin's answering laughter. 

“I always suspected you had a kinky side, Ry,” he snorted, “but I really have got to go. I'll see you tonight though, okay?”

Ryan lifted his head to give Colin a tender kiss, then reluctantly released him. “Be careful,” he called as Colin went to the door.

Colin turned and smiled. “Stay safe.”

 

Ryan found it almost impossible to wipe the grin off his face that morning. Greg, of course, called him on it the moment he walked in.

“Well, someone got lucky last night.”

Ryan cheerfully flipped him the finger and settled down to work, unable to keep his thoughts away from Colin for more than a few minutes.

He kept his jovial mood in the days that followed, despite the ongoing terrorist situation. After not having received an anonymous phone call for weeks, the same man had called again, this time to inform them that he planned to blow up something much bigger. He didn't appear to be protesting against anything or have any demands; it was more like a game of cat and mouse, as if he was daring the LAPD to stop him and challenging all of them to a battle of wits.

Unfortunately the call was too short in duration to be traced and they had little else to go on. Everyone could feel the tension and frustration, knowing that at any moment a bomb could explode anywhere in the city and there was nothing they could do about it.

 

The call they'd been dreading eventually came the following Thursday, when Ryan and Greg were sitting in their squad car taking a break. A bomb had exploded in an office block downtown and there was no word on how many people had been inside. As they sped towards the scene, more information began to filter through to them via the radio. Apparently a suspicious package had been discovered within the building and the staff had been in the process of evacuating when it had detonated. All units responding to the incident were given strict instructions not to enter the building until it had been checked by the bomb squad for secondary devices.

“Fuck, this is bad,” Greg muttered, all his concentration focused on the road ahead and his knuckles white on the steering wheel. Ryan didn't answer, trying to prepare himself for the scene that awaited them.

When Greg and Ryan arrived there were several police cars and ambulances already there and a cordon had been set up around the perimeter of what was left of the building. Ryan looked around at the huddled groups of shocked and tearful people, knowing that the bomber could very well be amongst them; he would have wanted to see the show after all. He spotted Brad standing by the police cordon, staring at the building intensely, and walked over to him.

“Hey, any news on casualties?” he asked, before looking around expectantly. “Where's Col?”

Brad didn't answer but continued to stare at the building and Ryan started to get a bad feeling in his gut. “Brad,” he said firmly, grabbing his arm and forcing him to meet his gaze. “Where's Colin?”

Brad turned to look at him, his face pale. “He went inside.”

“He _what?_ ” Ryan looked back at the building in shock and more than a little fear. “Why the hell did he do that? Weren't you told to stay out until the bomb squad arrived?”

“Of course we were,” Brad snapped, yanking his arm free. “But we were the first to arrive and someone was screaming inside, begging for help. Colin couldn't just stand by and not try to help.”

“Well, why didn't you stop him?” Ryan shouted, his fear turning all too easily to anger, which attracted Greg's attention.

“Don't you think I tried?” Brad said furiously, squaring up to Ryan.

“Well obviously not hard enough.”

“Hey, what's going on here?” Greg asked, trying to calm things down.

“Colin's in there, Greg,” Ryan said, glowering at Brad before walking towards the cordon.

“Fuck,” Greg swore, taking off after Ryan. “What are you doing, Ryan? You can't go in there.”

“Try and stop me,” Ryan said firmly, ducking under the cordon and ignoring the other officers' calls. Greg could only stand and watch him go.

The whole building looked unstable as Ryan walked towards it; the top few floors had collapsed onto the ones underneath which were buckling under the strain. He carefully picked his way through the mounds of debris and went inside, the dust filling his lungs and making him cough. He grimaced as he saw a blood-stained hand poking out from beneath a pile of rubble and his need to find Colin intensified.

“Col?” he called, his voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space. He wouldn't say he was claustrophobic but he still felt uneasy, the walls seeming to close in around him.

“Over here.”

Relief flooded through Ryan as he squinted into the gloom and moved slowly towards the sound of Colin's voice, determined to get him out as quickly as possible. When Colin finally came into view, Ryan could see he was working on an unconscious man lying beside him who was covered in blood and had a large gash in his abdomen. Colin was desperately trying to stem the bleeding, which, judging by the bright red spurts, was coming from a major blood vessel.

“We've gotta get out of here now,” Ryan said firmly, moving towards them. “If there's another bomb, the whole building could come down on us.”

“Just give me a minute,” Colin said, all his concentration focused on the man in front of him. “If I don't do this now, he'll die.”

“Col...”

“Just one minute, Ryan. That's all I'm asking.”

Ryan knew he was fighting a losing battle. “Fine, you've got that minute, but if you're not finished by then I'm taking you out of here whether you like it or not.”

Colin didn't answer, too intent on his task. Ryan fidgeted nervously, all too aware of the danger they were putting themselves in. The building creaked and groaned around them and Ryan felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest as he waited, fingers itching to grab Colin and run.

“Okay, that'll do for now,” Colin said, breaking the silence. “Give me a hand to get him out of here.”

It took longer to get back out, both of them trying to find a relatively safe path while not aggravating the man's injuries. Ryan took deep lungfuls of sweet clean air once they finally got outside, carefully carrying their patient. The bomb squad had just arrived, looking at them disapprovingly as they crossed back through the cordon and rushed the man to the ambulance. Brad got in the front to drive, looking thoroughly relieved, while Colin jumped in the back to continue his treatment.

“We're going to talk about this later,” Ryan said sternly before shutting the back doors and watching the ambulance speed off down the street, sirens blaring.

 

Colin knew he was in trouble the moment he opened his apartment door that evening and saw Ryan's expression.

“Okay, you're angry,” Colin said, sighing. “I get that.”

“I'm not angry, Col,” Ryan said, stalking in and turning to face him. “I'm furious.”

Colin looked resigned to the inevitable argument. “What do you want me to say, Ry? It was a split-second decision. I had to do something.”

Anger had been simmering away in Ryan all afternoon and, with no one to unload on, it was now threatening to overwhelm him. ”You went in there when they told you not to and, in doing so, you deliberately put your life in danger,” he fumed, walking to the window.

“Because it's my job.”

“No,” Ryan snapped, turning around swiftly to face him. “It's not your job to get yourself killed.” He shook his head. “Why do you act like their lives are more important than yours?”

“Oh come on, Ryan, be reasonable. Being a paramedic means that sometimes I have to go into dangerous situations, just like your job.”

“It's not the same, and you know it,” Ryan said in a low voice. “I'm trained for those situations. What you did was reckless.”

Colin held his gaze. “What I did saved that man's life, and I'd probably do it again in the same circumstances.”

“No, you won't! I won't let you.”

Colin’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. “Whoa there, soldier,” he said, crossing his arms in front of him. “I realise you were worried, and I can understand that, but don't ever think you can control what I do.”

“It's not open for discussion, Col,” Ryan snapped, allowing his anger to take control. “You're not putting yourself in that kind of position again if I have anything to do with it.”

Colin threw his hands up in exasperation and walked to the door, grabbing his keys on the way.

“Where are you going?” Ryan yelled. He hadn't finished yet.

“Out!” Colin replied. “I can't talk to you when you're like this.” With that he left the apartment, slamming the door behind him, which made Socrates shoot off the couch with a yowl.

Ryan walked to the door and opened it, yelling down the hallway at Colin's retreating back, “That's it, walk away. That'll solve everything.”

He slammed the door shut and kicked it hard, leaving an indentation in the wood and a throbbing pain in his big toe. 

“Fuck it.”


	9. Chapter 9

As Ryan gradually calmed down, he realized that he'd handled things badly and felt ten times worse than he had done before. He waited for Colin to come back, ready to apologize the moment he walked in, but a few hours later there was still no sign of him and he began to worry.

Racking his brains for where Colin might go, Ryan could only come up with one person—Brad. He looked through Colin's book of contacts and found Brad's address. He really didn't want to deal with Brad right now but he had to find Colin, and Brad was probably the best person to ask. So he quickly left the apartment and set off, determined to put things right.

That determination was put to the test as he stood outside Brad's apartment, preparing himself for a difficult conversation. He raised a fist and knocked loudly, hearing the sound of someone approaching the door from the other side a moment later.

Brad's eyebrows rose in surprise when he opened the door and saw Ryan standing there. His surprise quickly turned to suspicion when Ryan said, “Have you seen Colin?”

“What have you done?” Brad said, eyes narrowing.

“Nothing,” Ryan protested but his face betrayed his guilt. Brad crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at him, his expression sceptical. “Okay,” Ryan conceded, “we had a little disagreement.”

Brad didn’t budge. “Obviously not that little if you're here looking for him.”

Ryan shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “You're right, I screwed up, but I want to make things right.”

Brad studied him for a moment then shook his head. “I haven't seen him.”

Ryan shoulders slumped dejectedly and Brad sighed, uncrossing his arms. “Come on, I'll make you a coffee and you can tell me what happened.”

Ryan looked shocked but followed him inside nevertheless. Brad's apartment was a lot more modern than Colin's, but it still had a welcoming feel to it. After a few minutes, Brad handed him a large steaming mug and they both sank into comfortable armchairs.

“Thanks for this, Brad,” Ryan said sincerely, taking a sip. “I didn't expect you to want to help. Actually, I kind of got the impression that you hated me.”

Brad looked at him carefully, plainly trying to decide how best to reply.

“I didn't hate you... I just didn't trust you.”

Ryan frowned and leaned forward with interest as Brad took a mouthful of coffee then continued. 

“You have to understand that Colin is very special to me. He helped me a lot when I came out a few years ago, helped me to deal with the fear of people's reactions and of letting myself get close to anyone.” He noticed Ryan's expression and held up his hand. “I know what you're thinking and the answer's no, we've never been together like that. I do love him, but only as a very close friend. Anyway, he's had some really shitty boyfriends in the past so I tend to be a little overprotective.”

“A little?” Ryan repeated, eyebrows raised.

Brad smiled. “Okay, a lot. I just don't want to see him get hurt, and I wasn't sure you'd be good for him until today.” Ryan looked confused and Brad's smile widened. “When I saw your expression the moment you realized he was in that building and your willingness to risk your own life, I knew without a doubt that your feelings for him were genuine, even if you were being an ass.”

Ryan smiled, “I guess I was. It's just that this is unfamiliar territory for me, I've never loved anyone this much before.”

“I believe you,” Brad said, leaning back against the cushions and looking into Ryan's eyes. “So how exactly have you screwed it up?”

Ryan told him of their argument and Brad grimaced, shaking his head. “Oh man, never try to tell Colin what to do. The last guy who tried it got ditched pretty quickly.” Ryan looked at him in alarm and Brad quickly added, “But he was an asshole. I don't think Colin ever really loved him and certainly not as much as I think he loves you.”

“So you don't think I've ruined things then?”

“Nah,” Brad said reassuringly and Ryan looked relieved. “He just needs some time alone. You should be there when he returns though.”

Ryan gave him a grateful smile and got to his feet. “Thanks Brad, I really appreciate you giving me a chance. And I want you to know that I wouldn't hurt Colin for the world. He's my everything.”

Brad stood up as well and clapped his arm. “Good, otherwise I'd have to kick your ass.”

 

The apartment was still deserted when Ryan returned, using the spare key Colin had given him for emergencies, so he settled down on the couch to wait. Socrates immediately jumped up onto his lap and purred loudly, apparently pleased that all the shouting had stopped.

Ryan had actually fallen into a light doze when he heard the key in the lock some time later. He jolted awake, scaring Socrates who shot off his lap with a hiss. Colin paused in the doorway when he saw him, clearly unsure whether to expect further hostility.

Ryan got up off the couch in one fluid movement and walked towards him, his heart clenching at Colin's wary expression. He immediately pulled Colin into a hug and whispered, “I'm sorry.” Colin relaxed into the embrace, wrapping his arms around him, and Ryan felt the tension drain from his body.

“I know I completely over-reacted,” Ryan continued, still hugging Colin tightly. “I was just so scared that I could have lost you... it made me kinda crazy for a while.”

“I know, and I'm sorry for putting you through that,” Colin said into his neck. “But you'll have to deal with the fact that I'm going to face another dangerous situation sooner or later. I need to know that you trust me to make my own decisions.”

Ryan pulled back to look into his eyes. “I do, and I'll support you whatever. I can't pretend that I won't be worried sick though... you're kind of important to me.”

Colin smiled and gave him a kiss, which Ryan immediately deepened, restoring his inner peace.

“Well, that's our first argument out of the way,” Ryan smirked a few minutes later, still holding Colin tightly in his arms.

“Hey, you know what the best part of arguing is?” Colin asked with a gleam in his eye and Ryan shook his head, feeling a thrill of anticipation.

Colin grinned. “Making up afterwards.” With that he grabbed Ryan's hand and led him towards the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them.

 

The next morning, Ryan awoke to an empty bed and the sound of the shower running in the next room. Grinning to himself he got up and crept into the bathroom, shedding his few items of clothing as he went. He couldn't see Colin clearly through the steamed up glass as he approached and silently opened the door.

Colin had his back to him as he stepped into the shower and Ryan took a moment to admire the alluring view of the soapy water running in rivulets down every curve of Colin's body. He moved forwards and wrapped his arms around him, making Colin jump slightly.

“I thought you were asleep,” Colin smiled, turning his head sideways to look at Ryan.

Ryan shrugged and kissed his nose. “I was, but this looked like more fun.”

“Hmm,” Colin grinned. “Are you holding a gun to my back or are you just pleased to see me?”

“I'm always pleased to see you,” Ryan murmured, nuzzling Colin's neck. “The more of you the better.”

There was an answering snort. “You're insatiable, you know that?”

“Only with you.”

Colin let out a groan as Ryan intensified his ministrations. “Why do I get the feeling that I'm gonna be late for work this morning?”

“Do you want me to stop?” Ryan asked in-between kisses and nips to Colin's shoulder.

“Hell, no.” 

Colin gasped as Ryan entered him in one swift movement, the soap acting as sufficient lubricant for both of them, and braced his hands against the tiles in front of him. Any initial discomfort was quickly replaced by indescribable pleasure and Colin surrendered himself to it completely as Ryan began gentle thrusts.

Ryan was still amazed by the sheer force of the emotions that ran through his body when he was with Colin. Every time felt like the first. He was breathing heavily as he continued to lavish attention on Colin's neck, his hands gripping Colin's hips firmly to anchor him as the hot water cascaded down both of their bodies.

“Harder, Ry,” Colin panted and Ryan felt a surge of desire as he increased his speed, pulling out almost completely before slamming back in at the right angle to hit Colin's prostate again and again.

Colin was almost incoherent by this point, bowing his head and screwing his eyes shut as he felt the familiar stirrings beginning in his groin. Ryan sensed that Colin was close and reached around to stroke him firmly, feeling his own orgasm hurtling towards him.

“Oh God, Ry.”

Colin suddenly threw his head back and cried out, coming over Ryan's hand and up the tiled wall as he climaxed. Ryan was powerless to stop himself following, emptying himself deep within Colin as waves of ecstasy spread throughout his entire body and stars danced across his vision. His legs felt like jelly as he softened and slipped out of Colin, who sagged back against his chest. The shower was already washing away all evidence of their activities.

“Fuck,” Ryan exclaimed breathlessly, wrapping his arms around Colin firmly.

“I believe we just did that,” Colin replied cheekily and Ryan chuckled as he grabbed a sponge and began to wash Colin's body.

“We do seem to get better and better at it though, don't we?” Ryan said a moment later. “I think they should make it an Olympic event.”

Colin laughed, grabbing the sponge from Ryan to return the favour. “In that case, we'll need a lot more practice... purely in the interest of perfecting the technique obviously.”

“You've sure as hell got my vote.”


	10. Chapter 10

Ryan found it incredible that he'd only been with Colin for just over a month; he really couldn't imagine his life without him in it. Colin was never far from his mind, a constant source of strength and support when he needed it, and he now looked forward to every day and cherished every moment spent with the man he loved.

There hadn't been any further arguments, although Ryan had been forced to deal with his irate chief for going into the building after Colin and disobeying a direct order. Luckily Drew was a reasonable man and had always liked him, so he got off with just a warning. Ryan couldn't bring himself to regret his actions, knowing he'd do the same thing again without hesitation.

He hadn't crossed paths with Colin at work for a while but they now went out regularly with the guys after their shifts had finished. As Ryan put it, Colin was now officially part of the gang.

The only black cloud hanging over everything was the as yet unidentified bomber, who seemed to be gaining in confidence and constantly challenging them to stop him. The bomb that had destroyed the office block had killed eleven people, and there was now a great deal of fear within the city. The FBI had stepped in to help them to identify and apprehend the bomber before he struck again, but no one was particularly optimistic about their chances; this bomber was very smart and always seemed to be several steps ahead of them.

“Hey, Ryan,” Chip said, perching on the edge of Ryan's desk at the end of yet another long shift and casting a shadow over his work. “Do you know what tomorrow is?”

“Yeah, it's Saturday,” Ryan said without looking up from his report.

“And?”

“And... it's the day after Friday and before Sunday,” Ryan replied as he finished writing. He glanced up to see Chip looking put out.

“Oh, I know,” Ryan said, snapping his fingers, and Chip brightened up considerably. “It's karaoke night at The Orchid.” 

The smile quickly slid off Chip's face.

“Stop teasing him, Ry,” Colin laughed, coming up behind them. He regularly dropped in to meet Ryan after work and see the guys; he enjoyed the playful banter, especially after a difficult day, which there'd been a lot more of lately.

“Hey,” Ryan grinned, pulling him down for a chaste kiss.

“Just ignore him, Chip,” Colin said reassuringly when he straightened up. “He's well aware that it's your birthday tomorrow, aren't you, Ry?”

“How can I not be?” Ryan muttered, taking Colin's hand in his own. “He's been going on about it for the last week.”

“You're gonna come out with us to celebrate, aren't you, Col?” Chip pleaded. “It wouldn't be the same without you.”

Ryan snorted. “However did you cope in previous years, Chip?” he asked as Jeff and Greg walked over, smiling at Colin in greeting.

“With difficulty. I had to put up with you being eternally grumpy.”

Greg, who'd just sat down at his desk, let out a bark of laughter. “He's got you there, Ryan.”

Ryan opened his mouth to argue, then realized that Chip was right and closed it again. Colin gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled. “I wouldn't miss it, Chip.”

“Great,” Chip grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Come on, birthday boy,” Jeff said, grabbing Chip's arm and guiding him away. “We've got reports to finish before we can leave. See you later, guys.”

Colin waved and watched them go. Then he moved behind Ryan and started rubbing his shoulders gently. “You almost finished?”

“Yeah,” Ryan replied, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. “Although I may never move from this spot if you keep doing that.”

Colin smiled and bent down to give him an upside-down kiss, feeling an answering smile from Ryan.

“Eww, I didn't need to see that,” Wayne said from his desk a few feet away, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“Don't watch then,” Colin retorted, making Ryan snort in amusement.

Colin had already had the misfortune of meeting Wayne and was all too used to his attitude, having had to deal with it many times in the past.

“You shouldn't be doing that in public. It’s not decent.”

Ryan tensed but Colin squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

“You know what Wayne?” Colin said, crossing his arms and looking into Wayne's eyes steadily. “Over the years I've discovered that people say things like that for one of two reasons; because they're an ignorant dumbass, or because they're insecure about their own sexual identity.” He paused, staring Wayne down. “So which are you?”

Wayne spluttered indignantly. “I'm not insecure about anything.”

Colin nodded. “Then you're a dumbass,” he said firmly, as if that settled the matter, and turned away.

Greg and Ryan burst into laughter at the look of absolute outrage on Wayne's face and Colin couldn't help grinning as Ryan slipped an arm around his waist.

“You'd better watch it, man,” Wayne said, pointing a finger threateningly but Colin just smiled.

“Oh fuck off, Wayne,” Ryan said dismissively, getting to his feet with a stretch and putting on his jacket. “You don't scare anyone.” He took Colin's hand and turned to Greg. “See you tomorrow night, buddy.”

“Sure thing,” Greg grinned. “Have fun, kids.”

Ryan rolled his eyes but Colin winked at Greg. “Oh, we will.”

 

“Happy birthday, Chip,” Jeff smiled, raising his glass to his partner.

The others raised their glasses as well, echoing the sentiment, and Chip beamed at them all.

He had decided that, to celebrate his birthday, the five of them would have dinner at his favourite restaurant before going on to a club afterwards. He was determined that this would be the year in which he'd find someone special; lately he had found himself envying what Ryan had with Colin, their love for each other plain to see.

“Another year older and, hopefully, wiser,” Jeff said, clapping Chip on the back.

“Well, if that's true, then I'm the wisest person at this table,” Colin grinned.

“And we bow down to your infinite wisdom, master,” Ryan said solemnly, dropping his head in submission.

“You're learning,” Colin replied cheekily and Ryan laughed, slinging an arm around his shoulders.

“I hope we don't have to wait too long for our food,” Greg said, looking towards the kitchen hopefully. “I'm starving.”

A panicked shout from a table across the restaurant unexpectedly drew everyone's attention.

“Someone call an ambulance,” a woman screamed, cradling a man who had collapsed on the floor, and a waiter quickly ran to call 911.

Before anyone could blink, Colin was out of his seat and rushing over to them. The others got up and followed, ready to offer help if needed.

Colin dropped down beside the man quickly. “It's okay,” he said to the terrified woman, “I'm a paramedic. I need you to move back a little, okay?”

The woman nodded, looking a little relieved.

“Does he have any known medical problems?” Colin asked as he loosened the man's collar and felt for a pulse.

“Yes, he had a heart attack last year,” she said tearfully.

Colin nodded and put his head to the man's chest.

“His heart has stopped,” he said, looking around at Ryan as the man's wife moaned pitifully. “Do you know how to do artificial respiration, Ry?”

“Yeah,” Ryan frowned. “Well, I took a course a few years ago but...”

“Good,” Colin said, cutting him off. “I need you to breathe for him while I do CPR.”

“Okay,” Ryan said nervously, kneeling down next to the man's head. “I'm a bit out of practice though.”

“That's alright, I'll tell you what to do,” Colin said and Ryan nodded, face set with determination. “Right, tilt his head back and lift his chin up.” He watched as Ryan complied. “Good. Now pinch his nostrils closed and, when I tell you to, take a deep breath and seal your mouth over his. Then breathe slowly into his mouth twice. Got it?”

“Got it,” Ryan nodded, getting in position as Colin began doing chest compressions. After fifteen compressions, he said, “Breathe,” and Ryan followed his earlier instructions. There was complete silence in the restaurant as they worked, everyone watching the dramatic scene. The man's wife sat with her hands clasped tightly in front of her face as if in prayer, her tear-filled eyes fixed on her husband's pale face. 

After several rounds of compressions, and as the sound of sirens approached, Colin asked Ryan to wait a moment while he pressed two fingers to the man's neck.

After a few suspense-filled seconds Colin said, “We've got a pulse,” and there was a collective sigh of relief throughout the restaurant followed by scattered applause. Ryan felt elated as he sat back on his heels and let out a deep breath. Colin flashed him a smile as he continued to monitor the patient. 

Only moments later a team of paramedics were on the scene. Colin filled them in on the situation as they gave the man oxygen and strapped him to a stretcher. His wife tearfully hugged and thanked both Colin and Ryan before following her husband to the waiting ambulance.

“Wow, you're certainly handy to have around in an emergency,” Greg said as Colin rejoined them and they walked back to their table.

“Yeah,” Chip agreed, his eyes filled with admiration. “You were incredible, Colin.”

“He certainly was,” Ryan said proudly, putting an arm around Colin and kissing the top of his head.

“Hey, what about you?” Colin said, turning to look at Ryan. “You were fantastic.”

Ryan shrugged. “I was just doing what you told me to do.”

“Well as far as I'm concerned, you're both heroes,” Greg said firmly, “And, as such, you deserve a bottle of the best champagne.”

The manager of the restaurant later insisted that their meal and champagne was on the house.

 

“I can see why you love your job now,” Ryan said softly as they lay in each other's arms that night, his fingers lightly tracing a pattern over Colin's skin. ”The buzz you get from knowing you helped save someone's life is pretty incredible.”

“Yeah,” Colin replied quietly. “But no matter how many people I save, it doesn't help the crushing feeling of watching others die, seeing the light go out of their eyes and knowing there's nothing I can do to stop it.”

Ryan tightened his hold, rubbing Colin's back gently. “You can't save everyone, Col.”

“I know,” Colin sighed.

“But you saved me,” Ryan continued and Colin looked up into his eyes questioningly. “I had no idea just how empty my life was until I met you. You've lit up my world.”

Colin's eyes were bright as he leaned in to kiss Ryan tenderly. “And you've lit up mine, Ry,” he replied softly. “I love you.”

Ryan smiled, cupping Colin's face in his hands. “Snap.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Colin's asked me to move in with him,” Ryan said conversationally as he and Greg sat in their squad car waiting for a call.

It had been a few weeks since Chip's birthday. They were blessedly uneventful weeks as far as work was concerned, but Ryan had a feeling that it was merely the calm before the storm. The bomber was still out there somewhere, no doubt planning his next target, which worried him no end. There were no worries at all regarding his relationship with Colin, which just kept getting better and better. He had been overwhelmed when Colin had broached the subject of living together permanently the previous night and hadn't hesitated for a second to accept. Some would think they were being impulsive, after such a relatively short time together, but Ryan had no doubts that his future lay with Colin. 

Greg turned his head, eyebrows raised, as he swallowed a mouthful of coffee. “Wow, that's a big step for you, isn't it?”

Ryan leant forward and grabbed his own cup from the dashboard, removing the lid to blow gently on the still volcanic liquid. “Not really. We practically live together anyway; I hardly ever go back to my apartment anymore. Besides,” he continued, turning his head to look at Greg and shrugging, “I love him.”

“Man, I was beginning to think you'd never say the big 'L' word,” Greg grinned, thumping a fist to his heart with an emotional expression. ”Now you're all grown up.”

“We're the same age, Greg,” Ryan pointed out.

Their conversation was interrupted by a call to an armed robbery at a store several blocks over.

“And there goes our coffee break,” Ryan sighed as Greg hit the sirens and set off towards it.

 

The two perps were just leaving the store as they pulled up and, spotting the police car, took off down a side-alley. Ryan drew his gun and ran after them, as Greg called for back-up and proceeded to follow.

There was a high fence at the end of the alley and Ryan found the two men trying to climb over it, clutching a bag that presumably contained what they'd stolen.

“LAPD, hold it right there,” he shouted, pointing his gun at them.

The second man turned and fired his own gun, forcing Ryan to dive behind a nearby dumpster. Several more rounds hit the side of it with high-pitched metallic pings. Ryan peeked around the edge and saw that the first man had managed to get over the fence and was running off. The second man was nearing the top and Ryan knew he'd get away in a few more seconds. He jumped up and shouted, “Freeze or I'll shoot.”

Greg had arrived behind him, pointing his own gun towards the man on the fence. He saw the man turn to shoot at Ryan again so he fired. His bullet hit the man in the chest, sending him plummeting to the ground.

Both of them ran over to the unmoving body and Greg kicked away his gun while Ryan knelt down to check his pulse. “He's still alive. Get dispatch to send an ambulance.”

 

Despite knowing there was a chance it would be Colin who responded to the call, it was still a nice surprise to see him jogging towards them, Brad a few steps behind.

“Hey strangers,” he greeted when he reached them. “What have we got?”

“Single gunshot wound to the chest,” Ryan replied, flashing him a quick smile. “His pulse is steady but his breathing is getting very shallow.”

Colin checked the man over quickly, using a stethoscope to listen to his chest. “Pneumothorax,” he said to Brad, who nodded. “Punctured lung,” he explained to Ryan when he gave him a blank look. “I need to put a chest tube in to ease the pressure, but we're going to have to move him out of this alley; there's not enough light to work with here. Can you go and grab the gurney, Brad?”

“I'm on it,” Brad said, taking off back down the alley.

Ryan and Greg watched silently as Colin removed a pressure bandage, put it over the wound, and proceeded to use the sterile plastic interior of the packaging to cover the top of it to prevent further air from being sucked in.

“What happened?” he asked as he checked the man's pulse again.

“Armed robbery,” Ryan explained. “He refused to drop his weapon and turned to shoot at me, so Greg had to take him down.”

Colin shook his head and looked down at the man's face. “He can't be much older than twenty. Where did his life go so wrong?”

Brad returned with the gurney and they carefully carried him out towards the ambulance. However, they were only halfway there when there was a shout behind them. “Give him to me!”

It turned out to be the man's accomplice, standing a little way off and pointing his gun towards them shakily, beads of sweat running down his face.

Ryan and Greg immediately stepped away from the gurney and drew their guns as Colin and Brad raised their hands.

“Drop it, now,” Ryan ordered.

The man's hold tightened on the gun and he pointed it directly at Colin, who was nearest, with a determined expression. “No, you drop _your_ guns or I'll shoot him.”

Ryan's heart was thudding in his chest as he and Greg exchanged a look before slowly lowering their guns and throwing them to the ground, holding their hands up. “Okay, buddy, just take it easy.”

“I'm not your buddy,” the man spat at Ryan, then looked at Colin. “Now, you, give me my brother.”

“He can't do that man,” Greg said firmly.

The man turned on him furiously. “You two, shut the fuck up or I swear I'll blow his brains out.” Ryan's jaw clenched but he stayed silent.

Colin looked into the man's eyes steadily. “What's your name?” he asked gently.

The man blinked at the question, his eyes constantly darting around the four of them. “Eddie,” he said finally, never relaxing his grip on the gun.

“Okay, listen to me Eddie,” Colin said, keeping his voice low and unthreatening. “Your brother is seriously injured. The bullet punctured his lung and, unless he gets treatment very soon, he's going to suffocate. Do you understand?”

Eddie shook his head wildly and screwed his face up, as if trying to block out Colin's words. “I promised him we'd never go back to prison.” 

“Give me the gun and I promise I'll try to help you,” Colin replied, easing towards him as Ryan watched in mute terror. “You're only making things worse for yourself.”

A screech of tyres heralding the arrival of another police car destroyed any chance of getting through to him and he looked at Colin accusingly. “You were just stalling for time, weren't you?” he yelled, a mad look in his eyes.

Ryan saw him begin to squeeze the trigger and threw himself forward, pushing Colin down as a shot rang out. Greg immediately tackled Eddie to the floor, the gun clattering across the street, and pinned him down as he cuffed him securely.

“Col?” Ryan shouted desperately, turning him over.

“I'm okay,” Colin said shakily, sitting up. His eyes widened as he noticed the blood on Ryan's shirt. “Oh God, Ry, you've been hit.”

Ryan hadn't even felt the bullet hit him, too focused on whether Colin was injured. He looked down in surprise at the crimson stain spreading from a small hole in his abdomen. The sight of it seemed to force his brain to catch up with events and he was hit by a wave of blinding pain.

Colin immediately snapped into paramedic mode and lay Ryan down on his back, pressing his hand firmly over the wound.

“You're going to be okay, Ry, you hear me?” Colin told him, looking around for help as Ryan nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. Brad was busy trying to save Eddie's brother so Colin only had one other option. “Greg, I need you!”

Greg had walked Eddie over to the newly arrived police car to transfer custody of him to the two other officers. He was heading back towards them when he heard Colin shout, breaking into a run when he heard the urgency in Colin's voice.

“Ryan's been shot,” Colin said when he reached them. “I need you to help me, okay?”

“Fuck,” Greg said, staring at Colin's fingers which had bright red blood oozing from between them steadily.

“ _Greg!_ ” Colin said sternly and Greg's head snapped towards him. “You have to concentrate.”

“Okay,” Greg nodded, his eyes flicking back to the wound. “What do you need me to do?”

“Go and grab my kit from the ambulance, and grab an oxygen mask too. You'll also need to ask dispatch to send another ambulance.”

Greg nodded and ran off.

Colin looked down into Ryan's pain-filled eyes and tried to smile reassuringly. “So you yelled at me for putting myself in danger, then you do this?”

“Better me than you,” Ryan wheezed.

“No, it's not, Ry,” Colin said firmly.

“Sure it is,” Ryan argued. “You're the paramedic aren't you?”

Colin couldn't argue with the logic of that statement and shook his head in exasperation. He was worried about Ryan's worsening complexion though and willed Greg to hurry up. As if hearing his thoughts, Greg rushed back to the scene with Colin's kit.

With Greg's help, Colin managed to dress the wound securely to buy them some time. Greg put the oxygen mask over Ryan's face, alarmed at his falling level of consciousness.

“You have to try to stay awake for me, Ry,” Colin said, ripping a needle and syringe from their packaging. “I'm going to give you some morphine and put a drip in your arm now, okay?”

“Urrgh,” Ryan mumbled as Colin prepared the injection. “You know I hate needles, Col.”

“I'll be as gentle as I can,” Colin replied with a sympathetic smile.

“I know you will.”

“Keep talking to him, Greg,” Colin instructed as he concentrated on his task.

Greg nodded and leant forward, Ryan's half-open eyes sliding towards him. ”You know, there are easier ways of getting time off, man. Or did you just want to be confined to bed, huh?”

“Only if Colin's with me,” Ryan murmured under the mask, managing a smirk, and Colin couldn't help smiling.

Greg continued to talk but Ryan couldn't concentrate on his words, feeling increasingly tired and light-headed. He could feel the strong reassuring touch of Colin's hands and knew he couldn't be in better care. With that comforting thought he let himself sink into the warm, inviting darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

Ryan slowly became aware of a loud beeping sound coming from somewhere nearby. Thinking it was his alarm clock, he tried to lift his hand to turn it off, only to find that his arm wouldn't comply. As he rose up out of the darkness which had consumed him, he realized that he wasn't in a familiar bed and his body felt like lead. There was also a dull, throbbing pain in his side. In a flash, the earlier events came back to him.

He struggled to open his eyes and finally managed it, a strong clinical smell assaulting his nostrils. He blinked rapidly as the hospital room slowly came into focus. Turning his head slightly, he saw Colin standing by the window with his back to him, still in his uniform. The setting sun was shining through the window and bathing his skin in a soft golden light, creating an almost angelic aura. _My guardian angel_ , Ryan thought with a smile.

Needing to see Colin's face, he tried to call his name but it only came out as a strangled croak. Nevertheless Colin heard it and turned, his face breaking into a relieved smile as he walked over.

“Hey you,” he said, leaning over to kiss Ryan gently. “Welcome back. Do you want some water?”

Ryan nodded weakly and Colin grabbed a cup from beside him, holding the straw to his lips. Ryan let the cool water slip down, wetting his dry and sore throat.

“Better?” Colin asked.

Ryan nodded with a grateful smile. “How long have I been out?”

Colin put the cup down and turned to look back at him, raising a hand to smooth his curls back from his forehead. “A couple of hours. They had to take you straight to theater when we arrived to repair the damage.” His hand stilled as he looked into Ryan's eyes, which were duller than normal and still slightly groggy from the anaesthetic. “You scared the crap out of me for a while there. Please don't do that again.”

“Sorry,” Ryan whispered, gingerly moving to take Colin's other hand in his. “I had you to take care of me though, didn't I?”

Colin held his gaze with a deadly serious expression. “You were very lucky. The bullet somehow managed to miss all your vital organs. A little to the left or right...” He couldn't finish the sentence, shutting his eyes and looking down, and Ryan squeezed his hand reassuringly. Colin let out a deep breath then looked back up with a smile. “Guess I know how you must have felt now.”

Ryan remembered how terrified he's been at the office bombing, and that had just been for a few moments before he'd found Colin unharmed. He shuddered to think what Colin had been through over the last few hours, knowing that he would have fallen apart if the situation had been reversed.

“I'm sorry I scared you,” he said sincerely, stroking the top of Colin's hand with his thumb. “I was just trying to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, well worry less about me and more about yourself in future,” Colin replied sternly, leaning forward until their noses were almost touching. “Because I don't want to lose you.” He closed the distance and kissed him gently, feeling the anxiety gradually flow out of his body.

“I'd better go and call the guys,” he smiled a moment later. “I promised I'd let them know the moment you woke up.”

 

“Knock, knock,” Greg's familiar nasal tones called as he pushed the door open and entered the room, followed by Jeff and Chip. “How's the patient doing?” He stopped in his tracks when he saw that Ryan was asleep and lowered his voice, “Sorry.”

Colin, who was sitting on the edge of the bed next to Ryan, smiled at him warmly. “It's okay, Greg. They've given him enough painkillers to knock out a small elephant.”

“Or a tall, gangly giraffe,” Greg smirked as he placed a bag of goodies on Ryan's bedside table.

“So, how _is_ he doing?” Jeff asked worriedly as he pulled up a chair, the others following suit.

“The doctors are confident that he'll make a full recovery,” Colin reassured him, “but he's going to be very sore for a while.”

Greg, who was staring at Ryan's relaxed face, murmured, “Hell of a close call though.” He'd never come so close to losing his partner before and, despite his tough exterior, it had badly shaken him up.

“Tell me about it,” Colin sighed, his hand tightening around Ryan's.

“Are _you_ okay, Colin?” Chip asked, noticing the tired lines on Colin's face.

“I'm fine,” Colin replied with a reassuring smile. “I just never want to go through that again. I suppose that's the price I pay for dating a cop.”

“He's damn lucky you were there, Col,” Greg said seriously. “I know I wouldn't have stayed so calm and professional if it had been Jen.”

Colin shook his head. “Trust me, I wasn't nearly so calm on the inside. It's a lot harder to focus when it's someone you love.”

There was a hesitant knock on the door and all four pairs of eyes swung round to see Brad standing in the doorway looking awkward.

“Hey, Brad,” Colin said in surprise. “Come in. This is Jeff, Chip, and you've already met Greg. Guys, this is my partner, Brad.”

“Hi,” Brad said, shuffling into the room and nodding politely at the others who murmured greetings. “I just wanted to see how he's doing.”

“He's doing okay,” Colin smiled. “Thanks. What happened with the guy's brother?”

Brad shook his head. “He was DOA. There was just too much internal damage.”

“Damn it,” Colin sighed, looking back down at Ryan who stirred slightly in his sleep. “Such a waste.” Greg shuffled in his seat uneasily; it had after all been his bullet which had killed him.

“Hey, Brad,” Chip said cheerily into the suddenly oppressive silence, attempting to lighten the mood, “you should come out with us sometime. Colin's already had his initiation ceremony.”

“You make it sound like a cult,” Brad smirked.

“It is, Brad,” Colin said with such an expression of utmost solemnity that Brad almost believed him, “And once you're in their clutches, you can never escape.”

Greg let out a bark of laughter, hastily covering his mouth to muffle the noise when Ryan grunted and stirred.

“Oh come on, Col, you know you love us,” Chip grinned before turning his attention back to Brad. “So how about it?”

“Sure,” Brad replied with a shrug. “Why not? As long as I don't have to slaughter a live chicken or something.”

“Nah, we save that for special occasions.”

“Fair enough,” Brad laughed and Chip gave him a dazzling smile in return. “Well, I'd better get back. You know, I've got to put up with Steve as my partner now you're AWOL, Colin, and he gives me the creeps.”

Colin chuckled. “Sorry. I promise I'll be back to save you from creepy Steve as soon as I can.”

Brad waved a hand dismissively. “It's okay, you've certainly earned some time off. Give Ryan my best when he wakes up, okay?”

“I will. Thanks.”

Brad raised a hand to the others as he went to the door. “It was nice to meet all of you. I'll no doubt see you again soon.”

When he'd gone Chip stared after him and Colin, Jeff, and Greg all smirked knowingly at each other. Greg held up his hand and mouthed counting down, putting a finger down each time. Just as he got to one, Chip spoke. “Hey Col, is Brad seeing anyone?”

Greg and Jeff immediately burst into laughter and Colin grinned, the strain disappearing from his face for the first time since they arrived. 

Chip turned to look at them with a confused expression. “What? Hey, what's so funny?”

This just made them laugh even more and Greg bent over, clutching at his stomach and slapping his leg.

“Hey, do you lot wanna keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep around here.”

Everyone's heads whipped round at the sound of Ryan's voice, happy to see he'd woken up even if they'd inadvertently caused it. Ryan was looking at them with an amused expression, despite his words, and also looked slightly relieved that Colin was still beside him.

“Sorry, Ry,” Colin chuckled, leaning down to kiss him gently. He pulled back to study Ryan's face carefully. “You need more pain meds?”

Ryan smiled, deciding he liked Colin looking after him. “No, it's not too bad at the moment.”

Greg, Jeff, and Chip had all got up to gather around him.

“I'm glad you're okay, man,” Greg said beside Ryan’s head. “That was some scary shit. Seriously, for a second I thought I was gonna have to give you mouth to mouth.”

Colin snorted and Ryan looked repulsed. “Well, thank God you didn't. I don't think there's enough mouthwash in the world to cover that scenario.” He frowned, suddenly remembering what had woken him. “Hey, what were you all laughing about anyway?”

“That's what I'd like to know,” Chip grumbled which set Greg off again.

“Chip likes the paramedic uniform too,” Jeff smirked and a blush crept up Chip's cheeks.

Ryan's frown deepened considerably and Colin rolled his eyes. “He means Brad, Ry.”

Chip decided this was too good to pass up.

“No, it's you, Col,” he exclaimed, throwing himself down at Colin's feet melodramatically and grabbing his hand. “Leave the cripple and run away with me.”

“No thanks,” Colin laughed, shaking his head, while Ryan glowered at Chip. Jeff and Greg simply watched the scene in amusement; they all knew that Chip would never have tried that when Ryan was fit and healthy. All jokes aside, Ryan was very protective of Colin. 

“I'm not too injured to kick your ass, Chip,” Ryan threatened, attempting to sit up, which made Chip retreat quickly and hide behind Jeff. Colin pushed Ryan back down firmly with one hand.

“Whoa boy, he was just kidding around. Don't over-exert yourself.”

Ryan grumbled under his breath and sank back into the pillows as a nurse entered the room.

“Okay, gentlemen,” she said briskly. “I'm afraid visiting hours are over. You can come back again tomorrow if you wish.”

Greg, Jeff, and Chip said their reluctant goodbyes, moving to the door and promising to come back when they could. Ryan reached out to grab Colin's arm as he got up to follow, and Colin looked down to see an unnaturally vulnerable expression on his face. Instantly making a decision, he turned to the nurse who was busy checking Ryan's vitals.

“Is it alright if I stay a bit longer, Sarah?”

She glanced up at him and smiled. “How can I say no to my favourite paramedic?”

“Thanks, you're a gem.”

“You know, you'll get me into trouble one of these days,” she replied good-naturedly as she finished her checks and ushered the others out of the room.

After all the talk and laughter it seemed unnaturally quiet once the door had closed. Ryan was still holding onto him tightly but Colin noted his relieved expression and the sleepiness he was unsuccessfully fighting. He sat down and carefully shifted his position until his back was resting against the top of the bed. Ryan immediately moved over to rest his head on Colin's chest and his arm crept across Colin's waist. Colin smiled and kissed the top of his head, rubbing his back soothingly. Within minutes, Ryan had fallen into a contented sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Ryan was released from hospital a few days later, under strict instructions to rest for at least a week and not return to work until they were satisfied that he had fully recovered. Colin got the distinct impression that the hospital was only releasing him early because the medical staff was tired of being snapped at constantly. To say that Ryan was a bad patient would have been the understatement of the century. Colin was the only person who could bring him out of his bad mood when he visited, which was as often as possible for the sake of mankind.

He had plenty of vacation time accumulated so had taken two weeks off work, determined to be there for Ryan as he recuperated. Ryan certainly wasn't complaining; he only wished he wasn't still so sore, otherwise he would have taken full advantage of having Colin to himself. They had both agreed that he would stay in Colin's apartment while he recovered, so that Colin could keep an eye on him and try to stop him from going stir-crazy, and then move in permanently once he was better.

After five days of lying in bed doing nothing, however, Ryan was losing the small amount of patience he had left and was desperate to get up and do something, _anything_ to relieve the boredom.

As Colin sternly pushed him back into bed for the third time that particular morning, Ryan put on his best puppy dog expression. “Please, Col, I'm feeling much better. Let me get up.”

Colin's stern expression softened into a sympathetic smile and Ryan felt his hopes rise.

“You can't, Ry. You heard what the doctors said; you suffered a serious injury and if you do too much too soon you could jeopardize your recovery. I know it's difficult, but if you want to get better quickly, you have to do as they say. Okay?”

Ryan scowled and flopped back down on the bed. “Fine,” he said sulkily. “I'll try to be good.”

His good intentions didn't last very long though. A few hours later Colin was once again settling him back into bed after another dismal escape attempt.

“You're hopeless, you know that,” Colin said, gazing at Ryan in exasperation as his fingers carded through his curls.

“But you love me anyway,” Ryan replied confidently, adjusting his position slightly.

Colin just smiled. “You realize this calls for drastic measures?”

Before Ryan could ask what he meant, Colin had leant forward and kissed him firmly, taking him completely by surprise. Ryan couldn't help but melt into it, opening his mouth when Colin's tongue sought entry. He didn't notice something cold enclosing his wrist until it was too late. With a click, he was nicely secured to the bed.

He broke the kiss and stared at a smug Colin in disbelief. “You used my own handcuffs against me?”

Colin shrugged and smirked. “You've only got yourself to blame. Besides, it was you who gave me the idea in the first place.”

“But that's just plain sneaky.”

“ _I_ thought so.”

Ryan's expression of utmost betrayal made Colin lean forward and kiss him again. “Hey, I'm sure I can make it more pleasurable for you,” he murmured, moving his mouth across Ryan's jaw and down his neck.

Ryan tried to stay mad, but Colin was making it almost impossible and a small whimper escaped his mouth as Colin continued his trail downwards. Colin peeled the sheet back to reveal Ryan's already tented underwear and carefully placed feather-light kisses on his bandaged wound before moving on. He lovingly caressed every part of Ryan's body, except the part that was screaming for attention the most, which drove Ryan crazy with need.

“Col...” he whined.

Colin looked up at him innocently. “What?”

“You _know_ what. Don't tease an injured man.”

Colin simply smiled at him, eyes gleaming. Then, before Ryan could blink, Colin had removed his constricting underwear and begun to run his tongue up his impressive length. He swiped it across the head when he reached the tip before taking all of him into his mouth.

Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and was forced to run through every boring police statistic he could think of to stop himself from coming there and then, only managing it with great difficulty. Colin was doing incredible things with his mouth and tongue and Ryan found himself idly wondering where he'd learnt the technique. That thought flew out of his head with every other one when Colin took him right to the back of his throat and sucked hungrily.

“Fucking hell,” Ryan exclaimed, his eyes flying open and his fingers clutching the sheets tightly. He wanted to look down at Colin but knew that, if he did, he'd lose it straight away and he didn't want it to end too soon. 

While one hand anchored Ryan's erection firmly in his mouth Colin moved his other hand down and circled the ring of muscle there, feeling a spasm go through Ryan's body at his touch. He slowly inserted one finger, pushing right in up to the knuckle, and heard Ryan groan as he tried to push down on it. With a grin he pulled out and added a second finger, then a moment later a third, thrusting them all the way in until he found the right spot, hearing a cry of pleasure from Ryan.

“Oh God, Col.”

Colin had begun to move his mouth up and down in a steady rhythm, his tongue constantly flicking and swirling, as his fingers continued their work and Ryan was feeling completely overwhelmed.   
_Okay this was worth being handcuffed for_ , he thought dazedly. He could feel the unstoppable force of his orgasm building and moved his free hand to cradle Colin's head lovingly.

Colin could tell that Ryan was close and stepped up his efforts. He took him right to the back of his throat once again and relaxed his muscles, swallowing around him as he pulled his fingers out and thrust in hard one more time. This proved to be the final straw for Ryan who arched his back, his arm straining against the cuffs as he came down Colin’s throat. Colin continued to milk him dry, swallowing every drop, then released him gently.

Ryan had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and a light sheen of sweat covered his body. Colin crawled back up and pressed a tender kiss to his lips, smiling as Ryan reciprocated and wrapped his free arm around him. When he pulled back and met Ryan's emerald gaze, he was startled by the intensity of emotion he saw there.

“You're incredible, you know that?” Ryan said softly. “That was...” He shook his head, apparently lost for words. “Wow. Now it's your turn.”

“Uh-uh,” Colin shook his head. “That was just for you; my own special brand of medicine.”

“Well you can medicate me as much as you want then.”

Colin chuckled and kissed him again. “Only if you promise to be good from now on.”

“I will be, scouts honor,” Ryan replied with a salute. “I haven't got any energy left after that anyway.”

Colin moved to release him and Ryan took advantage of his newly found freedom to wrap his arms securely around him, sighing contentedly and feeling the pull of sleep as his eyes closed again. He was about to drift off when Colin's voice broke the silence.

“Were you ever _actually_ a boy scout?”

“Uh-huh,” Ryan replied, not bothering to open his eyes. “Not for very long, though.”

“Really? What happened?”

“I kinda burnt down the scout master's tent.”

Colin burst into laughter, a sound that never failed to make Ryan feel warm and fuzzy. “Remind me never to take you camping, Ry.”

Ryan's answering smile remained on his face as sleep claimed him.

 

The day Ryan had been dreading had arrived all too quickly; the day that Colin returned to work. He was no longer confined to bed, but he still had to take it easy and wasn’t able to return to work himself until the following week. He watched from the bed with a pout as Colin came out of the bathroom and started to pull on his uniform.

“Stop giving me the puppy dog look, Ry,” Colin snorted, not even needing to look at him. “I have to go. You've already made me late.”

Once dressed he walked out of the room and Ryan lay there for a minute before getting up to follow him, finding him in the kitchen brewing coffee and buttering a piece of toast. Colin glanced up with a smile when he appeared, looking adorably dishevelled, and handed him a mug.

“What the hell am I gonna do here all by myself, Col?” he said, slouching against the counter grumpily and taking a sip. “You can't leave me alone.”

A knock sounded at the door and Colin gave him a peck on the lips. “I'm not,” he said, walking to the door and opening it to reveal a familiar figure.

“Babysitter reporting for duty as ordered.”

Ryan let out a groan as Greg saluted Colin with a grin then cheerfully walked into the apartment.

“You two have been colluding behind my back, haven't you?” Ryan said accusingly as Colin rejoined him.

“Hey, I'm married,” Greg said with mock indignation.

“Interesting. You play the marriage card before the straight one,” Colin smirked, taking a bite of toast.

Ryan frowned, realising he was right, and quickly looked at Greg who shrugged, a mischievous expression crossing his face. “What can I say? I've succumbed to the power of the paramedic uniform.”

Colin laughed at Ryan's scowl and finished the last of his coffee in one gulp. “As much as I'd love to continue this, I'm late and Brad's gonna have my ass.”

“He better not,” Ryan growled as Colin turned to him. “Your ass belongs to me.”

Colin smiled and Greg averted his eyes as they kissed goodbye with whispered words of love. 

“Okay,” Colin said a moment later, grabbing his keys on the way out, “play nice kids. I'll see you later.”

“Right,” Greg said briskly once the door had closed. “Charades or dominoes first?”

_It's gonna be a long day_ , Ryan thought wearily.

 

By late afternoon they were both in front of the television, flicking through endless channels of what could only be described as drivel.

“My God, do people actually watch this stuff?” Ryan asked in amazement as they came across yet another talk show with screaming relatives trying to tear each other's hair out as security attempted to pull them apart.

“There's a hell of a lot of freaks in this country,” Greg nodded, continuing to flick.

“Whoa, whoa,” Ryan said suddenly, sitting bolt upright and grimacing slightly as it aggravated his injury. “Go back.”

Greg flicked back until Ryan told him to stop, realizing that what he'd thought was an action movie was actually a news channel showing scenes of absolute carnage. A caption at the bottom of the screen said _Explosions in LA subway - at least 50 dead_.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Greg exclaimed, turning the sound up to hear a woman reporting from the scene.

“We don't yet know for sure if this is the work of the LA bomber,” she was saying loudly over the sirens. “All we know at this point is that there was an explosion on a subway train from Union station which caused it to derail. There was then a second explosion some time later, which caused an inferno and collapsed part of the tunnel. Firefighters are working to reach possible survivors, but we've been told to expect the worst. I can tell you that several members of the emergency services were inside the tunnel when it collapsed.”


	14. Chapter 14

Greg's head snapped towards Ryan, who was already pulling out his cell phone with shaking fingers and pressing Colin's number on speed dial.

He threw the phone down in disgust a few moments later. “The whole fucking network's jammed.”

“I'm not surprised.” Greg shook his head as he looked back at the flickering images on the television. “Everyone's going to be trying to reach loved ones.”

Ryan felt his heart clench painfully. “Oh God, please don't let Colin be in that tunnel,” he whispered, screwing his eyes up against the thought of it.

“Hey, there are thousands of people who work for the emergency services in this city,” Greg said in an attempt to reassure him despite being deeply worried himself. “The odds of Colin being one of those trapped are extremely small.”

“I know,” Ryan nodded, leaning back with a sigh. “It's just... I need to hear his voice.”

They both watched the harrowing scenes on TV in silence for several more minutes, then Ryan stood up abruptly with a determined expression. “I'm going down there.”

“Whoa!” Greg exclaimed, jumping up to grab Ryan's arm. “You're in no fit state to do that. Besides they wouldn't let you anywhere near the scene, you know that.”

“I can't just sit here and wait, Greg.”

He was on the point of grabbing his jacket and leaving, whether Greg liked it or not, when his cell phone trilled to indicate that he had an incoming message. He grabbed it and couldn't open the thing fast enough, his eyes flying over the words as Greg watched his face anxiously.

_If you've seen news pls don't worry, I'm fine. I'll prob be late back though. x_

Ryan dropped onto the couch, reading the message again more slowly.

“Well?” Greg finally asked, having been left in suspense. “Is it from Col?”

Ryan looked up and smiled, his face awash with relief. “Yeah, he's okay.”

“Thank fuck for that,” Greg replied, collapsing back down next to Ryan and turning to look at him. “It's going to be a tough first day back for him, though, isn't it?”

Ryan was silently thinking the same thing. Colin had been catapulted straight back into a major incident. If Ryan hadn't been off work he probably would have been sent to the scene too, and he would have been able to keep an eye on him. It was incredibly frustrating to be stuck at home when he should be there. For the hundredth time he cursed the bomber; there was no doubt in his mind that he was responsible for this.

 

As predicted, Colin didn't get home until late in the evening, a little after Greg had left. His face was tired and drawn, and his eyes were dull. He tried to smile in greeting, but Ryan could see that the day had taken its toll and wasted no time in pulling him in for a hug, sensing that they both needed it as much as each other. Colin clung to Ryan tightly, clutching handfuls of his shirt and breathing deeply as he tried to rid himself of the horrific images replaying constantly in his mind.

Ryan was content to hold him close, offering silent support and love. It must have taken a lot to shake Colin up this much; he'd never seen him so vulnerable before and he knew Colin would only let down his barriers to those he loved and trusted implicitly. He thought about all the families out there waiting for a loved one who would never return, and felt incredibly lucky. It made him want to keep Colin in his arms forever and never let him go. Colin certainly showed no signs of releasing him, his warm breath flowing across Ryan's neck in short bursts.

“You want to talk about it?” he eventually murmured in Colin's ear.

Colin shook his head firmly, keeping his face in the crook of Ryan's neck. “I just need you to hold me.”

Ryan tightened his arms in response, knowing that Colin would talk when he was ready to. It had been bad enough seeing the continual images on the news of bloody and burned survivors, he couldn't imagine what horrors Colin and the rest of the emergency services had been subjected to. As a cop he'd been to a few major incidents over the years, but there had never been such a sustained, merciless attack on the city by anyone before, and today's incident had been the worst yet.

He slowly steered Colin to the couch and sat down with him without breaking the embrace, settling back into the cushions comfortably as Colin cuddled into his uninjured side. He had no idea how long they sat like that, but there was honestly nowhere else on earth that he would rather be. It was simple moments like this that he cherished.

Realizing that Colin was almost asleep in his arms, he gently helped him up and guided him to the bedroom. Colin was practically dead on his feet and barely woke up as Ryan undressed him and put him to bed. Ryan climbed into bed himself a few minutes later, pausing to look down at Colin's exhausted face, which was relaxed in sleep. It felt nice to take care of him for a change rather than the other way around. He placed a gentle kiss on his lips, turned out the light, and settled down, smiling when Colin's arm immediately came across him even in sleep.

 

When Ryan opened his eyes, it was still dark. He was disorientated for a moment, unsure what had woken him. His arm instinctively moved towards Colin, but found nothing but empty space and cold sheets. He sat up and turned the light on, screwing his eyes up against the sudden contrast as he looked around the room. Everything was as it should be, except Colin wasn't there.

He swung his legs out of bed with a yawn, which turned into a gasp when his feet hit the cold floor. Shuffling his rapidly cooling feet into slippers, he got up to find Colin, but a few minutes later he had checked through the whole apartment without success. As he stood in the kitchen, with the first tendrils of panic starting to set in, an idea occurred to him and he went to pull on a pair of pants and an old t-shirt. Grabbing his jacket and keys he left the apartment, but instead of going down the stairs, he headed up, taking two at a time. A minute later he was pushing open the door to the roof, shivering as a cold blast of night air hit his skin.

Colin was directly in front of him leaning on the wall at the edge of the building, a lone figure standing in the darkness, and Ryan moved towards him with relief. Colin had once told him that when he was troubled by a bad case he would come up to the roof to clear his head and look out over the city. Even at this early hour L.A. was still bustling with activity, a reminder that life must go on despite every tragedy.

As Ryan got closer, the gravel crunching softly beneath his feet, he could see the goosebumps clearly on Colin's arms and neck, the breeze gently ruffling the thin material of his clothing. Colin jumped slightly when Ryan dropped his jacket onto his shoulders from behind him.

“Do you ever remember to take a jacket with you?” Ryan murmured softly, wrapping his arms around him.

“I prefer yours,” Colin replied, glancing at him with the ghost of a smile crossing his weary face. Ryan could see the pain in his eyes before he turned back to the many lights glittering in the darkness.

He sighed and followed Colin's gaze, kissing the top of his head. “Talk to me, Col. Let it out.” 

Ryan waited patiently for several minutes, not wanting to push too much. The sound of police sirens echoed in the distance, fading slowly as it headed away to another emergency. When Colin finally spoke, his voice was little more than a whisper above the wind.

“I can't get the images out of my head; so much death and pain.”

Ryan lifted his head, which had been resting lightly on Colin's, and looked down at him.

“What happened?” he asked gently.

Colin took a deep breath and slowly began to recount the day's events, his eyes moving unseeing over the jumble of apartment buildings and office blocks stretching into the distance.

“Brad and I were amongst the first to arrive at the scene, the walking wounded stumbling past us like zombies. When we reached the train, we saw that it was completely off the tracks. Most of the carriages were on their side and smashed to bits, but where the bomb had been was completely unrecognizable. The people trapped inside the train were screaming for help, surrounded by the dead and dying, pleading with us to get them out of there.” He shook his head slightly, a small sigh escaping his lips. “I could tell that Brad was just as overwhelmed as I was, but we focused on doing our job, trying to save as many as possible.”

Ryan listened in silence, Colin's words creating a clear picture in his head.

“The fire service was able to get into the less severely damaged carriages fairly quickly, but the ones closer to the explosion were so twisted and deformed that we knew it would take much longer; longer than a lot of the people inside had. A badly injured woman pressed her baby into my arms through an opening, begging me to help him even though it was quite obvious that he was already dead.”

His voice caught and Ryan grabbed his hands and held them tightly, giving him the strength to continue.

“She was beyond reason, Ry, adamant that he was going to be all right. I knew she didn't have long, judging by the amount of blood she'd already lost so I promised to help her son.” He looked up at Ryan wretchedly. “What else could I say, Ry?”

“Nothing,” Ryan replied sadly. Colin looked down at Ryan's hands engulfing his own and ran his thumb across them absent-mindedly.

“A little after that I got talking to a woman who was trapped in one of the most severely crushed carriages, passing medical supplies to her through a small opening in the twisted metal. Mary her name was. She was a nurse over at White Memorial Medical Center, and had been on her way home to her husband and three kids. As we talked she was able to treat fellow survivors trapped with her who I couldn't get to, trying to keep their spirits up with her positive attitude. I've always found that trauma shows a person's true colours; there are those who only think of themselves and then there are people like Mary, a truly inspirational woman.” He paused and stared out into the darkness for a moment.

“I was with her when the second device was found and we were told to pull out.”

He turned his head abruptly and looked up into Ryan's concerned eyes with a tortured expression. “I didn't want to leave her, Ry. I can still see the look of terror in her eyes as Brad dragged me away. We both knew that we couldn't help her, but that knowledge didn't make it any easier to bear.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head, willing the image away. Ryan felt helpless as he watched, wishing he could do more to help. After a few moments Colin opened his eyes again and turned his head away as he continued.

“Most of us had managed to get to a safe distance when the second bomb exploded. There must have been some kind of gas leak down there because a fireball swept through the tunnel, engulfing what was left of the train and bringing down part of the tunnel. We were there for hours trying to get through the rubble, none of us wanting to admit what we already knew, but we were forced to when we finally got through. Everyone was dead.”

Ryan tightened his embrace, feeling Colin's anguish. “I'm so sorry, Col. I can't imagine what that was like.”

When Colin turned his head to look back at him there were tears glistening in his soft hazel eyes. “I keep seeing Mary's face as we left her. She didn't deserve to die like that, Ry; none of them did. I hate the sick bastard who did this, and I hate myself for leaving them.”

Ryan turned him around and lifted his hands up to cup Colin's face, his thumbs moving gently across his cheeks as he held his gaze. “You had to. If you'd stayed, you would have been killed too. You saved everyone you could, Col. There's nothing more you could possibly have done.”

“I just want to forget,” Colin replied softly, tears escaping down his cheek as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. “Please help me forget.”

Ryan did the only thing he could think of. He closed the distance and kissed him softly, sensing the desperation in Colin's immediate response as he clung to the edge of a precipice filled with darkness and pain.

“Don't let me go, Ry,” Colin whispered brokenly against his lips.

“Never.”


	15. Chapter 15

Ryan noticed that Colin was quieter than usual over the following week, which wasn't surprising considering the circumstances. He kept a close eye on him, ready to talk whenever Colin needed it, or to listen, or just to comfort. Gradually Colin started to regain his old spark, the nightmares that had plagued him nightly since the attack becoming less frequent. Ryan knew that Brad was also shaken up by the whole thing and had talked it through with Colin on several occasions, trying to find some closure. Colin had even visited Mary's family to offer what comfort he could, but no one could fully move on until the bomber was caught and so far he had alluded capture.

The feds had been onto a promising lead not long after the train bombing, which he had delightedly taken responsibility for, but when they raided the place he was long gone. It looked like he'd been tipped off by someone, which only raised more questions. Relations were already strained between the feds and the LAPD, and that setback certainly didn't help matters.

The weather had cooled a little as autumn got into its stride, but it still remained warm and pleasant, a refreshing change from the stiflingly hot summer they'd endured. Ryan had finally gone back to work, anxious to get his teeth into a new case, and was in the process of finding someone to rent his apartment. He had now moved in with Colin properly, although unopened boxes of his belongings still littered the apartment, creating a sort of obstacle course which they had to navigate through on a daily basis. Socrates was enjoying having new objects to sharpen his claws on, though.

“You ready, Col?” Ryan called as he grabbed his keys, nearly tripping over Socrates in the process, earning a screech of displeasure. “Damn cat.”

They were going out with the guys for the first time since Ryan's injury, this time with Brad accompanying them, and both were looking forward to it immensely, needing to forget recent events and enjoy themselves for a change.

“Are you trying to flatten him again?” Colin chuckled as he walked in from the bedroom.

“Well, he would make a nice rug,” Ryan replied, turning and freezing as he took in Colin's attire and admired the view.

Colin's deep purple shirt and black pants clung to him in all the right places and Ryan was once again struck by just how incredibly sexy he was. His hungry expression didn't go unnoticed by Colin, who smiled and approached him seductively. He grabbed Ryan's tie and slowly reeled him in, stopping when they were just a hair's breadth apart. “Do you like what you see, officer?”

Ryan only managed a small squeak in response, his eyes dark with desire. Colin laughed and gave him a kiss, which Ryan strung out considerably longer than Colin intended. “Come on,” he chuckled, smacking Ryan's ass. “We're going to be late.”

 

The club was already fairly busy when they arrived, a little later than intended. They had to push through a throng of people to get to the bar where the others were standing, steady drinking already underway.

“Here they are!” Greg gave them a knowing smirk when they eventually reached the group. “Get held up, boys?”

Ryan ignored him while Colin just smiled innocently as they both accepted the flurry of hugs and back slaps in greeting. As Ryan went to get them some drinks, Colin moved to stand with Brad, who was looking a little intimidated by the group and gave Colin a grateful smile. Chip was hovering around him like a moth to a flame, much to everyone's amusement.

“Stop looking so tense, Brad,” Colin murmured to him. “They're a bunch of softies really.”

Greg overheard and looked at him indignantly. “Hey, Col, you're destroying our street cred.”

Jeff snorted. “Our street cred doesn't stand a chance with Chip here.” Chip immediately jumped on his back and kissed his cheek sloppily with a grin as Jeff tried his hardest to shake him off.

Colin chuckled, glad to see that Brad was also laughing at the pair as he finally relaxed, evidently finding the whole thing highly amusing. A bottle of beer was suddenly waved in front of Colin's face, which he took with a smile, leaning back slightly into Ryan's tall frame as Ryan wrapped an arm around his waist.

Chip had resumed his study of Brad, seeing him glance at Ryan and Colin with a smile. He thought he caught a flash of envy cross his face briefly and wondered if his feelings for Colin ran deeper than friendship. Chip couldn't blame him if they did; after all, Colin was an extremely attractive man. However, the more he watched, the more he came to realize that Brad's gaze wasn't centered solely on Colin but on both of them. It was obvious that Brad yearned for that kind of relationship as much as he himself did and that thought made his heart a little lighter.

“Okay,” Greg said loudly, raising his hand. “Now everyone's finally here and you all have drinks, I've got an announcement to make.”

“Oh my god, you're not gay too are you?” Jeff asked in alarm and there was an outburst of laughter.

“No,” Greg smirked. “I'm definitely not gay.”

“Thank god for that, I don't wanna be the only straight guy in the group.”

Chip put an arm around his shoulder, breathing noisily in a bad impersonation of Darth Vader. “Come over to the dark side, Luke.”

“I'm not Luke, I'm Jeff.”

“Oh, my mistake,” Chip said cheerily, returning to his normal voice and removing his arm as the others cracked up.

“So what is it then?” Ryan asked Greg once the chortles had subsided. He was genuinely curious, although he had an idea of what it might be.

“Yeah, don't keep us in suspense Greg,” Chip said, looking like a little boy on Christmas morning.

“Well,” Greg said, pausing for dramatic effect as all eyes fixed on him. “This time next year I'm going to be a father. Jen's pregnant.”

There was an explosion of noise as everyone rushed forwards to congratulate and hug him, huge smiles all round.

“I'm so happy for you, buddy,” Ryan grinned. “I bet Jen's over the moon.”

Greg gave an answering snort. “You have no idea. She has baby names picked out and everything.”

“How far along is she?” Colin asked with interest.

“About eight weeks. I know it's still risky at this stage, but we wanted to tell you guys.”

“I'm sure she'll be fine,” Colin smiled. “Who's her OB/GYN?”

“Spot the medic,” Ryan murmured in amusement, receiving a playful elbow in his stomach from Colin in return.

“Doctor Mortimer over at Cedars-Sinai. Do you know her?”

“Yeah, she's very good.”

“Okay, enough questions,” Ryan said firmly, raising his bottle. “Let's concentrate on celebrating.”

 

As the evening wore on, Ryan was happy to see Colin relaxing and enjoying himself. The six of them chatted, laughed, and generally enjoyed each other's company after too long an absence. As far as Ryan was concerned, there was no better tonic for their troubles. Brad and Chip had really hit it off and stayed next to each other pretty much all evening, pointedly ignoring the smirks and teasing comments sent their way. Ryan was determined to get Chip back for everything he'd had to endure when he'd started dating Colin. He smiled as the man in question returned from the bar with more drinks. However, he'd barely reached Ryan when they heard a shout behind them. 

“Hey, Colin!”

A fairly attractive man in his forties was approaching, smiling widely. There was something about him that immediately raised an alarm in Ryan's head; he'd learnt to sense these things after fifteen years in the force, and he was proved right the next moment.

“Asshole alert,” Brad muttered loudly and Ryan stepped a little closer to Colin protectively.

“Hi Sam,” Colin said unenthusiastically, not returning the smile.

Sam stopped in front of him, completely ignoring the others. “God, how long has it been?”

“It's been a while.”

“You're looking good,” Sam said appreciatively, his eyes wandering down Colin's body. Colin felt Ryan tense beside him. “Are you seeing anyone at the moment?”

“Yes, he is,” Ryan interjected firmly.

Colin couldn't help smiling at Ryan's possessiveness. “Sam, this is Ryan, my partner. Ryan, this is Sam, an old... acquaintance.” Sam had been eyeing Ryan distastefully, like something he'd find on the bottom of his shoe, but looked back at Colin quickly when he heard his introduction.

“Acquaintance?” he smirked, “we were a lot more than that Colin. Why don't you give me a call sometime? I don't mind sharing.”

“But I do,” Ryan said fiercely. He put an arm around Colin, who leant into him and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Sorry, Sam,” Colin said cheerily, “but I wouldn't date you again if you paid me. And I'm with Ryan now.”

Sam looked Ryan up and down sceptically. “What's he got that I haven't?”

“Hmm, let me think,” Colin put a finger to his mouth and pretended to ponder the question. “Well, he's kind, gentle, funny, loyal, generous, great in bed... in fact he's everything you're not. Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got celebrating to do.”

The others were desperately trying to contain their laughter as Sam looked at him indignantly for a moment and then stalked off.

“That was awesome, Col,” Greg chuckled.

Ryan pulled Colin close and hugged him. “Great in bed, huh?” he said in Colin's ear.

“You'd better believe it,” Colin smirked.

 

The club became slightly less crowded and slightly more rowdy as the late night became an early morning. Despite the alcohol consumed, all six of them remained relatively sober, although it did mean frequent trips to the bathroom. Ryan was waiting patiently for Colin to return after having gone several minutes ago.

His gaze wandered across to where the restrooms were and his eyes immediately narrowed when he saw that Colin had been cornered by Sam on his way back out. Sam seemed to be talking quite intensely, but Colin was very clearly not interested in what he had to say. As Ryan watched, Colin tried to move past Sam who then grabbed hold of his arm firmly.

Ryan felt white-hot fury bubble up inside him and quickly started moving towards them. Greg caught sight of Ryan's expression and followed his gaze, eyebrows rising as he took in the scene. Figuring Ryan might need back-up, he took off after him. Chip, Jeff, and Brad looked confused at their sudden departure before noticing who they were heading for.

“I'll fucking kill him,” Brad spat as they all got up to follow.

“I think Ryan's gonna take care of that,” Chip said, his expression grim.

Ryan had almost reached them and could now make out what was being said.

“You'd better let go of my arm, Sam, or so help me—”

“Oh come on, Colin,” Sam slurred as he pressed his body closer, the stench of alcohol on his breath. “I know you still have feelings for me. Admit it.”

“If you seriously believe that then you're more deluded than I thought,” Colin said icily. “I'm not the person you used to know anymore and I love Ryan. Now let me go.”

“I suggest you do as he says,” Ryan said loudly behind Sam, seeing a brief look of relief cross Colin's face. Colin was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but Sam was a lot bulkier in stature so he had a weight advantage.

“Or what?” Sam challenged, his lip curling derisively.

In an instant, Ryan had Sam up against the wall with his arm pinned behind his back painfully. Greg arrived at that point, followed shortly by Jeff, Chip, and Brad. Once they were satisfied that Colin was unharmed they turned to enjoy Sam's obvious discomfort.

“You'd better let me go before I call the cops,” Sam warned, and Colin was pleased to hear his voice tremble slightly.

There were several snorts as Ryan pulled his badge out of his pocket and slammed it on the wall in front of Sam's face, making him jump. Then he twisted Sam's arm higher so that he let out a squeak of pain. 

“Now, I'm only gonna tell you this once,” Ryan said, his voice dangerously soft. “If you ever come near Colin again, police officer or not, I'll shoot your fucking balls off. Got it?”

Sam nodded, fear evident in his eyes, and Ryan released him roughly. As Sam began to hurry away, Colin called to him. He moved out of the supportive huddle that his friends had created, ignoring their concerned glances.

“Hey, Sam, wait a minute. I need to give you something.”

Ryan frowned while Sam's expression was a mixture of confusion and a little hope as Colin approached him. “What?”

Without another word Colin drew back his fist and punched Sam hard in the face, hearing a satisfying crack. Sam stumbled backwards, clutching his bleeding nose, and Colin shook his hand with a grimace.

“Hey, that's assault,” Sam yelled and pointed at the others. “You all saw that.”

“Saw what?” Greg asked innocently, turning to Jeff. “Did you see anything?”

“No, I didn't see a thing. Chip?”

“Nope, I must have been looking the other way.”

“Oh, what are the odds?”

There were several sniggers of amusement.

“Just get the fuck out of here, Sam,” Ryan snapped.

Sam muttered mutinously and headed for the exit, swaying slightly as he threw the door open furiously. As soon as he'd gone, Ryan was instantly at Colin's side, checking him over and examining his bruised hand carefully.

“Nice right hook, Col,” Greg said in an appreciative tone.

Colin turned to him and grinned. “I've owed him that for a long time.”

“Too bad we couldn't kill him,” Brad said, sounding disappointed. “We would have been doing the world a favor.”

Colin shook his head in amusement, then hissed in pain as Ryan gently flexed his fingers.

“Sorry,” Ryan whispered. “Greg, can you go and ask the barman for some ice please? We need to keep the swelling down.”

“I live to serve.”

Colin raised his eyebrows at Ryan with a grin. “Are you after my job?”

“I've had to deal with my fair share of fist fights, Col. You could have broken something.”

“I did,” Colin smirked. “Sam's nose.”


	16. Chapter 16

Ryan managed to open the apartment door in under ten seconds, which was quite a feat considering that Colin was attached to his lips and he was harder than a steel rod in winter. They hadn't stayed at the club very long after Sam's departure and had hardly been able to control themselves on the way home, both feeling the need to reclaim each other as their own after the night's events. 

They both stumbled into the apartment and Ryan slammed the door, not bothering to turn the lights on. They kept their lips locked together while clothes were shed hurriedly on their way to the bedroom, but after colliding with a third pile of boxes in the dark, Colin couldn't contain his amusement any longer.

“That's why we need the lights on,” he laughed as Ryan swore. “You've got to sort these boxes out, Ry.”

“And I will,” Ryan nodded. “But right now all I want is you.” 

He dived back in to carry on where they had left off, and carefully guided Colin into the bedroom. The back of Colin's legs hit the bed and they both toppled onto it in a tangle of limbs.

Ryan abruptly stood up to remove his painfully constricting pants, loving the sight of Colin lying spread-eagled across the bed in front of him. Colin looked up at him with a wanton expression, his shirt ripped open and his face flushed with arousal. Ryan managed to remove his own pants in record time before swiftly removing Colin's, letting out a deep growl as he crawled back up the bed and into Colin's arms.

The skin to skin contact immediately heightened their pleasure, their hot bodies smoldering against each other as hands explored and tongues entwined. Ryan raised Colin's arms above his head, continuing to kiss him passionately, and Colin heard a familiar click. He broke the kiss and glanced up at his wrist, which was now handcuffed securely to the bed, then looked back at a thoroughly smug Ryan.

“Well, I don't want you aggravating your injury.”

“Uh-huh,” Colin smirked. “Okay, you've got me, officer. Now what are you going to do with me?”

Ryan leant forward, his eyes gleaming, and whispered in Colin's ear. “I'm gonna make you scream my name.”

Colin felt a jolt of desire run through his body at Ryan's words; he always loved Ryan taking control. Ryan began trailing his tongue down Colin's neck, pausing to suck and nip certain areas before moving on. His hands were roaming freely over Colin's pale skin, his long fingers running through the soft hair covering Colin's chest, tweaking his nipples gently.

Colin's breathing had quickened considerably and his eyelids fluttered closed as Ryan continued his slow and attentive exploration of his body, gasping and moaning whenever Ryan found a particularly sensitive spot. Ryan was taking care to kiss and caress every inch of his skin and Colin had never felt so loved before, so utterly worshipped.

Ryan smiled against Colin's skin, thoroughly enjoying how responsive Colin was to his touch. He was ignoring Colin's straining erection for now, intent on saving that for last as Colin had done with him. He heard the small whimper of frustration as he passed it by and his smile widened, knowing he was driving Colin crazy with need. After ten more minutes, Colin was reduced to a quivering mess.

“Ry...” he moaned.

Ryan grinned and moved up to kiss him. “Payback's a bitch, ain't it?”

“You'd better get inside me right now, Ry,” Colin warned breathlessly, “or I swear to god, when I get out of these cuffs I'll prove to you that I know exactly how to cause the maximum amount of pain.”

Ryan laughed and shook his head. “Uh-uh. I want you inside me this time.”

“Well release me then,” Colin replied impatiently, straining against the handcuffs.

“No need,” Ryan smiled and instantly moved down to engulf Colin's entire length in his mouth.

“Jesus,” Colin exclaimed, feeling Ryan's tongue swirl deliciously around his head. He was having trouble controlling his breathing, already feeling the tell-tale signs beginning. “This is gonna be over very quickly if you keep doing that, Ry.”

Ryan gave him one last suck then pulled back, reaching over to the bedside drawer and rummaging around for a moment before moving back with a triumphant expression. He drizzled lube over Colin's length and Colin gasped as the cool liquid hit his scorching hot skin. He had to admit he was curious as to what Ryan intended to do.

Ryan shifted position so that he was crouching over Colin's body, placing his feet flat on either side, and slowly began to lower himself onto Colin's erection. He rested his arms behind him and leant back slightly to get the right angle, a moan escaping his lips. Colin gasped as he slipped into Ryan's hot tightness, struggling to stave off his impending orgasm. However, he knew he wasn't going to last long when Ryan began bobbing up and down, his impressive erection slapping against his stomach with each thrust.

“Fuck, so good, Col.”

“Not gonna last,” Colin panted as he pushed his hips up to meet him each time, the familiar feeling which heralded the end building in his groin. He grabbed Ryan's cock with his free hand and pumped it firmly, earning a strangled cry from Ryan. The only sounds in the semi-darkness were the slap of skin against skin, mixed with pleasured moans and gasps. They both gradually increased their pace until their actions were almost frenzied, both seeking release, and when they came it was almost simultaneous. Ryan covered his stomach with his own seed, shouting incoherently, while Colin pulsed inside him, crying out loudly enough to rattle the windows in their frames.

They both continued to move gently as their bodies trembled with the after-shocks, then Ryan wiped himself off, released Colin from the cuffs, and collapsed down next to him heavily. He closed his eyes in absolute exhaustion, his chest rising and falling rapidly from the exertion. Colin rubbed his wrist then let his arm flop down onto the bed with an expression of utmost contentment as his breathing slowed. Both of their bodies were still tingling in pleasure and slick with sweat.

“That would definitely have got the gold medal,” Ryan murmured after a few moments.

Colin summoned the energy to turn on his side and throw an arm over Ryan as he answered. “Absolutely.”

Ryan covered Colin's arm with his own and turned his head to kiss him with a contented sigh. As Colin wrapped a leg around him and closed his eyes with a smile, Ryan thought back to events earlier that evening and found himself asking the question which had been bugging him ever since.

“Who was that guy tonight, Col?”

For a moment Colin didn't answer. Then he opened his eyes with a deep sigh, his smile slipping.

“Someone I went out with a long time ago, when I was young and naive. I had hoped I'd never have to see him again.” He paused and Ryan squeezed his arm in silent support, waiting patiently for him to continue.

Colin glanced up into Ryan's green eyes with a small smile before cuddling into him and continuing softly. “His full name is Samuel Turner. He's a doctor; well he used to be anyway, which is how I met him. I'd only just come out and we sort of fell into a relationship. I thought I was in love with him at the time, but now I know that I was just dazzled by him. He was everything I wasn't back then; suave, confident, and completely secure about his sexuality.”

Colin traced patterns on Ryan's chest with a finger as he spoke, old and painful memories swimming to the surface of his mind.

“It had been extremely difficult coming out to everyone I knew. They didn't—couldn't—understand it and most of them just cut me out of their lives.”

“Even your family?” Ryan asked in disbelief, and Colin nodded.

Colin had always avoided the subject of his family and now Ryan knew why. Listening to his experience made Ryan realize how lucky he'd been to have such supportive and loyal friends and family. He couldn't imagine how alone Colin must have felt.

“That's why I moved to L.A.,” Colin continued. ”Anyway, because of that, I clung to Sam like a lifeline, but unfortunately he wasn't the faithful type. He would constantly sleep around with other guys and he was often rough with me.”

He felt Ryan go rigid and looked up to see a horrified expression on his face, suddenly realizing how his words could have been misinterpreted. “No! God, no, Ry,” he quickly reassured him. “He never forced himself on me. He just wasn't very gentle.”

Ryan sagged slightly in relief but still remained tense. “I really would have killed him if he had.”

Colin shook his head and looked away. “No. He did hit me a couple of times, but he never went that far.”

“Okay, maybe I'll kill him anyway,” Ryan said, furious.

Colin smiled briefly at his protectiveness, his fingers resuming their gentle path across Ryan's chest. “That was only when he'd drunk too much and I wouldn't give him what he wanted. Sex never had anything to do with love for Sam; it was pure lust and need. I put up with it because I believed that I could never find anyone better, that I didn't really deserve him to begin with, and he used that belief to keep me where he wanted. Inevitably, he got bored and left me for somebody new and exciting. He used me and threw me away like a piece of garbage.”

“I'm sorry, Col.”

Colin looked up at Ryan with a serious expression. “Don't be. That experience made me a much stronger person and forced me to depend only on myself. It made me accept who I am and never compromise on it. In fact, he probably did me a favor.”

Ryan took hold of Colin's chin and gazed into his eyes steadily. “Don't say that, Col. No one deserves to be treated like that. You're so much more than he'll ever be and he was a fool to let you go. I'm certainly never going to.”

Colin's answering smile made Ryan's heart flip and he raised his head to kiss him tenderly.

“Good,” Colin murmured against his lips. “Because I happen to love you quite a lot.”

He was expecting the usual reply but Ryan surprised him, cupping his face and looking deep into his eyes.

“I love you, too.”


	17. Chapter 17

Ryan blearily opened his eyes the next morning to find Colin still fast asleep in his arms, his hand splayed across Ryan's chest and his breath tickling his neck. Ryan couldn't help smiling as he looked down at his peaceful expression. His smile widened as Colin murmured something in his sleep and stirred slightly before settling down again, tightening his hold slightly. They both had the day off so there was nowhere to rush off to, in fact he'd be quite happy to stay in bed all day.

As he lay there, Ryan's mind wandered back to the conversation they'd had the night before. Despite his earlier conversation with Brad about Colin's past boyfriends, it had come as a shock to hear just how badly he'd been treated, pushed into an unhealthy relationship by the stupidity of his ignorant family. If he ever got his hands on any of them... his arms tightened around Colin as he felt his anger at their actions return in full force.

Colin was one of the strongest people he'd ever known, but Ryan knew that, deep down, the ostracization by his family was still an open wound. He vowed, right there and then, that he would do everything in his power to protect Colin from ever being hurt like that again.

Colin seemed to sense his change of mood, a frown creeping onto his sleeping face, and Ryan forced himself to relax, letting out a deep breath to rid himself of any residual tension. He glanced at the bedside clock and was surprised to see it was almost noon. They'd never slept in this long before, although it had been a particularly long day yesterday. He looked back down at Colin and smiled as he remembered the thoroughly satisfying but exhausting conclusion to their evening.

“You're staring at me again,” Colin mumbled a few minutes later, keeping his eyes shut.

Ryan grinned. “Well you shouldn't be so damn sexy, should you?”

Colin opened his eyes and smiled sleepily. “I think you win that prize.”

“I beg to differ,” Ryan shook his head, giving him a good morning kiss as his stomach rumbled loudly.

“Hungry?” Colin grinned.

“Yeah... for you,” Ryan growled, rolling on top of Colin and kissing him soundly. “We don't need to get up just yet.”

“I can feel that part of you is up already,” Colin smirked against his lips.

“And he's found a friend,” Ryan replied in a husky voice, rubbing up Colin's body to create a delicious friction.

Colin groaned and then, in one swift movement, reversed their positions so that he was on top of a surprised but pleased Ryan.

“You're going to be the death of me, Ry.”

“Hey, go out with a bang, I say.”

Colin's laughter filled the room as he lowered his head to kiss Ryan again. Things were just beginning to hot up when Ryan suddenly squawked, feeling needle-sharp pains in his foot.

“ _Socrates!_ ” he bellowed, looking down to see a ball of fur attached to him.

Colin burst into laughter. “I think someone else is hungry, too.” He sat up to shoo Socrates out of the door and began to massage Ryan's foot better. “I did warn you about him, didn't I?”

“I really will turn him into a rug if he keeps that up,” Ryan huffed, resisting the urge to pull his ticklish foot out of Colin's grasp as the pain eased.

Colin smiled, his hands continuing to work their magic. “No, you won't.”

“And why not?”

Colin shrugged. “Because I love him and you love me,” he replied simply.

The corners of Ryan's mouth twitched upwards as he sat up. “He's very lucky I do,” he said softly, pulling Colin into a kiss and falling backwards with him on top. Whether Socrates liked it or not, breakfast could wait.

 

They emerged from the bedroom half an hour later in search of food, both with sparkling eyes and a rosy glow on their cheeks. Colin was able to rustle something tasty up for them fairly quickly, a skill Ryan had been pleased to learn of early on, seeing as he couldn't cook worth a damn. He couldn't even do toast without it being burnt to within an inch of its life.

Once their hunger had been satisfied, they turned their attention to the various towers of boxes around the apartment, this being the first real opportunity to sort them out and decide what would go into storage. The apartment certainly wasn't big enough for everything.

“What's in this big box, Ry? It's not labeled.”

Ryan moved over to him with a frown and opened it. “Oh, it's my baby,” he replied, his face lighting up with a smile as he lifted a guitar out and lovingly ran his fingers over its smooth surface.

“I didn't know you played guitar,” Colin said in surprise as he watched Ryan's childlike delight at his discovery.

“I don't so much anymore, but I used to be quite good.”

Ryan gently strummed a few chords, immediately wincing and adjusting the strings until it was once more in tune. Then he began to play a gentle melody. Colin smiled as he watched Ryan's fingers move expertly across the instrument and thought that his face suddenly looked much younger, the music regressing him back into his memories. Ryan finished the tune and smiled sheepishly.

“I'm a bit out of practice.”

“Are you kidding? That was great,” Colin said earnestly. “I've always loved music, but unfortunately I can't sing or play without perforating ear drums. I guess the musical gene skipped me.”

Ryan laughed as he put the guitar down. “I'm sure you can't be that bad, Col.”

“Oh I am,” Colin smiled, turning to another pile of boxes. “Trust me on this one.”

Ryan moved back to the pile he'd been sorting through, still chuckling.

“How many books?” Colin asked incredulously a few minutes later as he opened a third box filled to the brim with thick volumes, varying from encyclopedias to fictional thrillers.

Ryan looked up from a box of personal items and shrugged. “I like reading. There was a time when I didn't used to have a whole lot else to do in my spare time.”

Colin gave him an understanding smile and continued to look through them. “Well, there isn't room for all of them but I'm sure I can fit a fair few onto my bookshelves if I put half of mine into storage with the rest of yours.”

“You don't have to do that, Col,” Ryan said in surprise, touched by the gesture. “This is your apartment, after all.”

Colin put the books down and walked over to Ryan, wrapping his arms around him snugly with a serious expression. “No, it's _our_ apartment, and it's only fair that we should share the space equally.”

“Thank you,” Ryan smiled, hugging him back while dipping his head for a kiss.

“What've you got there?” Colin asked curiously, pointing to the box which Ryan was in the process of sorting.

“Oh just sentimental things; old photo albums and stuff from my childhood.”

“Old photo albums?” Colin smirked, plucking one from the top of the pile. “Now this I've got to see.”

He opened the album to a random page, which was covered with photos of two boys, around nine or ten years of age, playing at the beach. Colin could tell which one Ryan was instantly and smiled, recognizing the sparkling green eyes and the familiar expressions even though his younger face was free of lines and worldly worries. The boy beside him, captured mid-laugh, had a strong family resemblance with the same tall stature and thick wavy hair as Ryan.

“Your brother?” he asked without looking up.

Ryan glanced over his shoulder and nodded. “Jack. He's two years older than me.”

“Is he the one who still lives in Canada?”

“Yeah, Vancouver. We used to be close, but... not so much anymore.” Seeing Colin's curious expression, he added, “He was one of the less approving members of my family when I came out.”

“Oh,” Colin said, understanding dawning on his face. “I'm sorry.”

Ryan waved a hand dismissively. “Hey, it's fine. I came to terms with his departure from my life a long time ago and I had the rest of my family to lean on for support. It's certainly nothing like what you had to go through.”

“Maybe not,” Colin sighed, “but it's still a loss, isn't it? You must miss him.”

“Sometimes,” Ryan shrugged. “I'm not gonna dwell on it, though.”

Colin turned a few pages and let out a laugh as he came across a picture of Ryan in his school uniform.

“Aww, don't you look cute,” he cooed. “Nice hair,” he added with a smirk.

“Hey, it was the seventies,” Ryan replied indignantly, a smile breaking through despite his best efforts, “everyone looked like that. Besides you're hardly one to talk about hair.”

Colin put the album down and turned on him with a mischievous expression, hands on hips. “Oh, that was below the belt, Bigfoot.”

“Bigfoot?” Ryan said, eyebrows raised in amusement.

“Would you prefer Big Bird?” Colin asked with a grin, raising a hand to tap Ryan's nose gently.

Ryan calmly considered him for a moment and then tackled him, Colin letting out a shriek as they both tumbled onto the couch. Ryan knew exactly where all of Colin's sensitive spots were and he put that knowledge to good use, his long fingers stroking and tickling as Colin giggled breathlessly and frantically tried to grab his hands.

“Okay, okay, I surrender,” Colin laughed, now gasping for breath.

Ryan grinned and ceased his torture, gazing down into Colin's sparkling eyes and remembering a similar play fight on their first proper date a few months ago.

“I win this time,” he said smugly.

“Uh-huh, and what would you like as your prize?” Colin smirked.

Ryan closed the distance and kissed him. What began as a light playful kiss gradually turned more intense, stealing their breath again. Ryan gave Colin's lower lip one last suck then lifted his head, meeting Colin's heated gaze steadily.

“I've already got everything I ever wanted.”

Colin smiled. “Me too. Now get your sexy ass back to work and we'll continue this later.”

“Yes, sir!” Ryan saluted, getting to his feet and pulling Colin with him. They shared another quick kiss before returning to their respective piles of boxes, both with a newly found enthusiasm for getting the job done quickly.


	18. Chapter 18

Ryan arrived at work the following day to find the whole place humming with barely concealed anger and frustration, which was enough to bring his good mood down a couple of notches.

“What's going on?” he asked a glowering Greg as soon as he reached his desk, removing his jacket as he spoke. Greg shoved a cup of coffee towards him, which Ryan accepted with a small grateful smile. Since he'd started dating Colin, his visits to the coffee house with Greg had become a rarity since they now tended to make their own way to work. Ryan felt a slight stab of guilt for letting their tradition slip and silently vowed to make more of an effort. Right now he was more interested in the ominous mood of his colleagues and he fixed Greg with an expectant look as he sat in his chair, eyebrows raised.

Greg took a mouthful of his own coffee, contemplating the dark brown liquid thoughtfully before looking up to answer. “There's been news handed down from on high,” he began, his lip curling slightly. “It seems the feds have decided to completely take over the L.A. bombing case. We've been left high and dry.”

Ryan's brow creased into a frown as the magnitude of this news sank in. He knew the feds liked to be in control, but to take the case over completely? It was an insult to every cop in the LAPD who'd spent every waking moment trying to put this guy away. It was a steaming pile of horse shit.

His anger must have shown on his face because Greg let out a short mirthless laugh. “Yeah, that was pretty much everyone else's expression when the chief told us. It's a fucking joke, man.”

“Did he give any explanation?”

Greg shook his head. “He just said that the case has become too complicated for the department to handle. That's code for you had your chance and you screwed up, if you ask me.”

Ryan came to a decision and stood up abruptly.

“Uh-oh, I know that expression,” Greg said warily. “Don't do it, buddy.”

Ryan ignored him and walked towards the chief's office, coming to a stop in front of the receptionist's desk. Regardless of orders, he wasn't going to take this lying down.

Karen, a pretty but no-nonsense kind of woman, was in the middle of a phone call and held a finger up to him, both to acknowledge his presence and ask him to wait a moment. After a few minutes of listening to her particularly dull conversation, Ryan's patience was wearing thin and he decided to take matters into his own hands. He walked around her desk, ignoring her indignant splutter, and raised his hand to knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Ryan winced slightly. It was widely known within the department that you could tell what sort of mood the chief was in by the first few words he spoke to you. Judging by his loud, clipped tone this morning, he was a dangerously close to losing his temper.

Ryan hesitated slightly, but then he thought about the two police officers who'd been killed in the train explosions and it strengthened his resolve. Grasping the door handle firmly, he turned it and entered the chief's office, or the fortress of doom as Greg liked to call it.

The office was light, spacious and deceptively welcoming. Ryan always got the impression that it was an attempt to lull any unwary visitor into a false sense of security, like you were simply going to visit a favourite uncle.

There was a comfy looking, if somewhat dilapidated couch off to one side which was flanked by two leafy plants, no doubt added after a report on the psychological benefits of having living plants in offices was published recently. A large desk dominated the center of the room and the wall above it was covered in old photos of proud and haughty dignitaries bestowing various awards on the department. Two large black chairs sat in front of the desk, inviting you to sit and relax.

The chair behind the desk was occupied by a large man in glasses, his face tense as his dark eyes skimmed over a document in front of him. Ryan cleared his throat loudly and Drew glanced up at him briefly before returning to the page he was reading.

“What is it, Stiles? I'm incredibly busy this morning.”

“Busy giving everything we've been working on over to the feds?” Ryan asked brashly.

Drew's head snapped up and, for a moment, Ryan feared he'd over-stepped the mark, bracing himself for an onslaught of fury. However, Drew simply leant back in his chair and surveyed him calmly for several moments.

“You're not one to beat about the bush are you, Stiles? I've always liked that about you.” He nodded firmly, as if agreeing to something he hadn't said out loud. “Fair enough, I'll extend you the same courtesy. Whether we like it or not, and believe me I don't like it one bit, we've been ordered to hand this bomber case over to the feds and step back.”

“On what grounds?” Ryan demanded, his temper rising once more. “This department has been working its ass off trying to catch this guy and we've lost good men in the process.”

“I'm well aware of that, but the feds think they can handle it more efficiently on their own.”

Ryan met his gaze steadily, determined to get to the bottom of the matter. “With all due respect, sir, we both know that's bullshit. What's really going on here?”

There was silence as Drew got up and moved to the window, Ryan's eyes following his movements as he waited for some kind of explanation. When Drew turned and spoke again, his voice was much quieter.

“What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room, understood?”

Ryan nodded, feeling more confused by the minute.

“Did you hear about the lead we got not long after the subway bombing?” Drew asked, waiting for Ryan to nod again before continuing. “That was the closest we've got to catching the son of a bitch, but he was somehow alerted to our intended raid and managed to evade us. That raised a lot of worrying questions, I can tell you.”

He walked back to his desk and sat down, gesturing for Ryan to do the same. Once they were both seated Drew resumed his explanation.

“The feds took his place apart, dusted every surface for fingerprints, but the whole apartment had been completely wiped clean and there was still nothing to identify him. Needless to say he'd given false details to the landlord. He had, however, left a message which the feds found a few days later when they were analysing the various items they had recovered from his apartment. It was a medal, just like that one in fact.” 

He pointed to a old photo behind him, in which he was receiving the medal for distinguished service from the mayor. Ryan stared wide-eyed at the photo, the significance of this new piece of information not lost on him. “He used to be a cop?”

“Not just any cop, a damn good cop; they don't give out those medals very often. That's not all, though. The feds discovered that the second bomb in the subway didn't explode late because of a mistake in its assembly as they first suspected; it was purposely rigged to detonate much later than the first.”

“What—” Ryan stopped mid-question and his eyes widened. “The bastard was targeting the emergency services. Why?”

Drew's expression was grim as he shrugged. “He obviously left the force under bad circumstances and is holding one hell of a grudge. He wants revenge, and apparently he doesn't care who he hurts in the process.”

“I still don't understand why we can't assist the feds on the case. Surely that gives us more of a reason to catch him; it's personal now.”

“Exactly,” Drew replied with a shake of the head. “Judgement is bound to be clouded. A more worrying matter has been raised, though. The feds have reason to believe that someone within the department is protecting this asshole and we have no idea who. The only reason I'm telling you all this is that I know you couldn't possibly have had anything to do with the tip-off, seeing as you knew nothing about it.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ryan muttered, sarcasm creeping into his tone of voice.

“Don't take it personally,” Drew said, managing a small smile. “It's just a case of trust no one at the moment. That's the real reason the feds have taken over the case. We have a traitor in our midst.”

 

Quite a crowd had gathered outside Drew's office by the time Ryan emerged, all anxious to find out what he'd learned. He looked at his many friends and colleagues briefly, ignoring their enquiring glances, before walking back to his desk where Greg, Chip, and Jeff were waiting.

“Should we start packing your things?” Greg asked as Ryan slumped into his seat.

“No,” Ryan replied, looking through the new pile of paperwork that had accumulated over his day off.

“He wasn't mad?” Chip asked in surprise.

“Oh he was, just not enough to fire me.”

“So...” Jeff prompted when he showed no signs of continuing. “What did he say about the case?”

Ryan's hand stilled and he looked up at his friends, wishing he could confide in them. Whatever Drew thought, Ryan knew for certain that his three best friends would never betray their brothers on the force, let alone allow someone to put Colin in danger. He had given his word, however, and he was conscious of the fact that others were also listening.

“Just that the feds think they can handle it more efficiently on their own. We don't have any choice but to accept it.”


	19. Chapter 19

“You're very quiet, Ry. Everything okay?”

Ryan glanced up from the remains of his dinner, which he'd been pushing around the plate for the last ten minutes, and sighed, letting his fork drop with a clatter.

“Yeah. This bomber case is just getting to me, I guess.”

The truth was he'd been replaying his conversation with Drew over and over in his head all day and he still couldn't quite believe it. One of their own, one of their goddamned own, was in on this. The thought made him sick to his stomach. He'd actually found himself studying every officer in the bureau in great detail, looking for any signs of deceit or malice, but of course found nothing.

Colin gave him a sympathetic look as he got up to clear the dishes. “No new leads then, I take it?”

“No,” he replied, taking a mouthful of beer and watching a drop of condensation slide down the outside of the bottle slowly. “Not that I'd know if there were.” He looked up to see a confused frown on Colin's face. “The feds have taken over the case,” he added in explanation.

Colin's frown deepened further as he walked back from the sink and came to stand behind Ryan, beginning a gentle massage of his shoulders. “Why?”

Ryan closed his eyes and dropped his head, feeling the tension being worked from his muscles. “I really wish I could tell you, but I'm not allowed to talk about it.”

“Top secret, huh?”

Ryan smiled slightly. “Something like that.”

He felt his previous feelings of guilt return, wanting nothing more than to talk the whole thing through with Colin. It had absolutely nothing to do with trust—he trusted Colin more than anyone else on the planet. No, this was a matter of honor. He'd given his word and he wasn't about to break it. He was also a little ashamed that a L.A. cop could be involved; it cast a dark shadow over the entire force.

“Nothing I can do to help then?” Colin asked, breaking into his thoughts.

Ryan opened his eyes and tilted his head back, his hand creeping up to enclose Colin's as he met his gaze. He was once again reminded just how lucky he was to have this man in his life. How many other people would have simply accepted his word without pushing for more information? He smiled up into Colin's warm hazel eyes.

“You _always_ help, Col.”

Colin smiled back and studied him thoughtfully for a moment, then abruptly patted his arm. “Come on.”

“Come on where?” Ryan asked with a frown as Colin grabbed both of their jackets and threw Ryan his.

“You'll see,” Colin replied mysteriously, heading for the door.

Ryan gave up questioning him at that point and got up to follow, pulling his jacket on as he went.

 

It was still pleasantly warm outside, the heat of the day lingering as the first few stars appeared in the night sky. Ryan was content to let Colin lead him down the maze of streets, his hand holding onto Ryan's own reassuringly.

They eventually reached a large park that Ryan didn't recognize, at least not in the dark. The sound of the bustling traffic faded slightly as they walked further inside, the grass softening their footsteps. Ryan heard music coming from somewhere ahead as Colin continued to lead him, heading towards lights twinkling in the gloom. As they got closer, he was able to hear the music more clearly and instantly recognized the tune being played. It was an instrumental version of one of his favourite songs.

“Moon River,” he murmured in wonder and Colin glanced back at him with a smile.

They emerged from the trees into a softly lit clearing where many other couples were enjoying the music, some sitting or lying on blankets while others were on their feet and swaying in each other's arms. A talented band of musicians playing an assortment of instruments were positioned on a temporary stage in the center, bringing the music to life in such a way that it felt like stepping into a bygone age, leaving the savage reality of modern L.A. far behind.

They found a secluded spot under a nearby tree and sat down to listen, Colin settling in-between Ryan's long legs and resting back against his chest. Ryan was already feeling more relaxed as the gentle strains flowed over him.

“How did you know about this?” he whispered, not wanting to break the spell by raising his voice.

Colin turned his head and smiled. “A friend of mine told me about it. There's always a group of musicians playing here every night, as long as the weather's fine.” He turned to look back at the stage and Ryan followed his gaze.

“They're not professionals; they all have regular jobs in the day. They do it because they love to play and they want to share that love with others. I've always found it very therapeutic after a tough day, just letting your troubles float away on the breeze and the music stir your soul.”

Ryan couldn't have put it better himself. Kissing the top of Colin's head, he settled back against the tree to listen as a new song began. He pushed all other thoughts out of his mind and lost track of time, concentrating solely on the music and the feel of Colin's warm weight against him. If the world ended now, he would die a happy man.

A little while later the band started to play the introduction of a familiar song, which made Ryan smile and abruptly get to his feet, dislodging Colin who had been almost falling asleep and was now frowning up at him.

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere.” Ryan smiled at Colin's confused expression and held out his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Colin's frown immediately turned into a warm smile as he grasped Ryan's hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Ryan wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, starting to sway gently as Colin rested his head on his shoulder and held onto him contentedly. Ryan loved the way Colin fitted perfectly against him, almost as if they were two parts of the same puzzle. He closed his eyes and began to sing quietly, his voice deep and rich.

“Some day, when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you, and the way you look tonight.”

Colin couldn't help smiling as he listened; it seemed that Ryan had a few surprises of his own. The rest of the world fell away and his eyelids slipped shut as he slowly swayed in the arms of the man he had grown to love so much.

“With each word your tenderness grows, tearing my fears apart, and that laugh that wrinkles your nose, touches my foolish heart.

“Lovely, never, ever change, keep that breathless charm, won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you, just the way you look tonight.”

Colin raised his head and met Ryan's gaze as he sang the last few words, trying to convey the depth of emotion that he was feeling. Their movements stilled and, to Ryan, it seemed like time itself had stopped, that they could almost stay in that moment forever. The shadows cast by the swaying boughs of the tree above them moved almost hypnotically across Colin's face and he could see every sparkling light reflected in the dark eyes locked with his. They both leaned forward at the same time and their lips met in the most tender of kisses as they moved even closer, their bodies pressed tightly against each other. The music had changed to a different tune but neither of them were listening anymore, both completely lost in the embrace.

Ryan pulled back, a beautiful smile gracing his face. “Thank you, Col.”

“For what?” Colin asked softly with a slight frown.

“For bringing me here... for being you... for loving me.”

Colin smiled and cupped Ryan's jaw with one hand. “That bit's easy.”

They resumed their slow dance, Colin's head resting on Ryan's shoulder once more, and stayed in each other's arms through countless old classic melodies. After a while Ryan felt a few drops of rain hit his face and he looked up to see that the stars had been covered by clouds. The gentle pitter patter gradually increased in intensity but they kept on dancing as everyone else around them ran for cover. The band had apparently decided to stay until they had finished the song, sheltered slightly by the trees.

Despite the fact that he was rapidly getting soaked to the skin, Ryan didn't want to move from that spot and from the looks of things neither did Colin. He wasn't cold; if anything the rain was quite refreshing, sweetening the air and creating its own melody as it hit the parched earth.

They were now the only couple in sight, holding on so tightly to each other that it was difficult to say where one person ended and the other began. Ryan knew that it was one of those moments that would forever be imprinted in his memory; dancing in the pouring rain with the man he loved as the band played just for them.


	20. Chapter 20

Ryan sat in the squad car with Greg, brooding over the mysterious terrorist. Everything had gone quiet again, as far as Ryan could tell anyway. There had been no bombings since the subway attack several weeks previously, and he hadn't heard about any more anonymous phone calls. Ryan suspected that the FBI raid had forced the bomber to lay low for a while; it had been a close call for him, but he would no doubt continue his campaign of terror once the dust had settled.

Ryan had gone into work that morning with Greg, since Colin had an earlier shift, and they'd stopped at the coffee house for the first time in several weeks, much to the delight of Lucy who pressed Ryan for an update on his love life while he waited. She was genuinely happy that things were going so well and he'd promised to visit more often.

It was a miserable October day, the sun deserting them for the first time in many weeks, and there was a constant drizzle of rain, just enough to be an annoyance to the many people out on the streets.

“I wish the weather would make its mind up,” Ryan grumbled as he watched the water collect on the windscreen. “Either rain properly or stop, for fuck's sake.”

Greg looked over at him with a grin. He'd learnt long ago that bad weather made Ryan grumpy. Luckily L.A. was sunny for most of the year.

They'd had a relatively easy morning, with just a couple of robberies and a few traffic violations to deal with. It seemed the weather was dampening everyone's spirit, even the criminals. Greg decided to change to a cheerier topic to distract him.

“Jen's having her first ultrasound scan on Monday.”

Ryan turned his head, a genuine smile lighting his face. “Really? Are you going, too?”

“Try and stop me,” Greg grinned. “I don't want to miss the first glimpse of our little Proopster.”

“Proopster?” Ryan laughed. “It'll be _Poop_ ster soon enough. Are you gonna find out the sex?”

“Nah,” Greg shook his head. “We want it to be a surprise. Of course, that means yours truly painting the nursery in completely neutral colors that can match a girl or a boy.”

“Any preference?”

“We've both said we don't mind as long as the baby's healthy, but I have to admit I've always wanted a son. I'll honestly be happy either way, though.”

“I have no doubts that you'll make a great father,” Ryan told him. “And I'll be happy to take the role of favorite uncle.”

Greg laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “You'll have to fight off a few others for that one, including Colin.”

“Okay,” Ryan amended. “Col and I will be joint favorites.”

The blare of the radio abruptly ended their fun, calling for assistance to a possible case of domestic violence. When they arrived at the specified address, an ambulance was already there and they found two familiar figures outside the apartment door.

“The guy won't let us in, Ry,” Colin said as they reached them. “A woman made the 911 call from inside this apartment.”

Ryan nodded and raised his fist to hammer on the door loudly. “LAPD! Open up!”

A man's voice shouted from the other side. “Just leave us the hell alone! We don't need you here.”

“Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Ryan called back, “but we're coming in there.”

After a few moments there was the scrape of locks being pulled back and the door swung open to reveal a man in his mid-thirties, dressed in just a pair of tracksuit pants and a vest. He was unshaven and scruffy looking. Over his shoulder, Ryan could see a woman hunched over on the couch.

“What do you want?” the man growled.

“We received a 911 call from a woman at this address, which we have to follow up,” Ryan explained calmly. “Can we come in, please?”

The man looked ready to argue, but abruptly sighed in defeat and stood to one side to let them pass. Colin and Brad immediately went over to check on the woman as Ryan and Greg questioned the man further.

“Ry?” Colin called after a few minutes.

Ryan left Greg to deal with the man, who was loudly protesting his innocence, and walked over to Colin, who stood up to talk to him in private.

“Geez,” Ryan exclaimed quietly when he got a good look at the woman's face. “Did he do this?”

“She's refusing to say,” Colin murmured, “but we need to get her to hospital. I think she has a broken cheek bone and possible broken ribs. Someone's done quite a number on her, that's for sure.”

“Okay, you two get her out of here and we'll take him in for questioning.”

Colin nodded and moved to help the woman to her feet. This caused an immediate hostile response from her boyfriend.

“Hey, get your hands off her,” he yelled, crossing the room in two strides to shove Colin roughly up against the wall.

Before Ryan could so much as move, Colin had delivered a swift blow to the man's gut and reversed their positions, holding him effectively in place with his face to the wall. Ryan rushed forward to cuff him then turned him around and slammed him back angrily.

“You wanna start something tough guy? Huh?” Ryan shouted, his fingers tightening around the man's throat.

Greg thought it prudent to intervene at that point before Ryan's temper could get the better of him.

“Ry,” Colin warned as Greg moved to take over. Ryan released him roughly and gave him a last filthy look before letting Greg lead him out to the car.

“I'll take her down, Col,” Brad murmured as Ryan came towards them, his face still flushed with anger.

“Thanks Brad, I'll be there in a minute.”

“Are you okay?” Ryan asked worriedly once Brad was out of sight.

“I'm fine,” Colin replied patiently. “What was _that?_ ”

“What?” Ryan frowned.

Colin folded his arms and raised his eyebrows.”Don't play innocent with me. You nearly lost control for a minute there.”

Ryan sighed. “I know. I just saw red for a moment, what with everything that's happened...”

“You mean Sam,” Colin replied knowingly, holding Ryan's gaze.

“I can't stand the thought of anyone hurting you, Col.”

Colin shook his head with a smile. “My knight in shining armor,” he said, uncrossing his arms and taking Ryan's hand. “In case you hadn't noticed, though, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself.”

Ryan looked sheepish. “I know you are. I guess I'm just feeling a little over-protective, that's all.”

Colin squeezed his hand gently. “That's understandable, I guess. But you need to be careful or one day that temper of yours is going to get you into real trouble.”

“Yeah, I know,” Ryan replied with a grimace.

Pressing a kiss to his lips, Colin nudged him towards the door. “Come on, let's get back to work.”

 

“I don't know about you, but I'm glad today's finally over,” Ryan sighed, rubbing his face wearily.

Greg, who was sitting at his desk opposite, nodded with a smile. “It has seemed like a long one, hasn't it? You got any plans tonight?”

Ryan let his arm flop down onto his desk, trying to suppress a yawn. “Yeah. A long, hot shower and an early night.”

“Sounds good to me,” a familiar voice said behind him.

Ryan smiled as a pair of arms came around his chest and he turned his head to give Colin a quick kiss.

“Hey, Brad,” Greg grinned, ignoring Ryan and Colin's all too familiar display of affection to greet the man standing behind them awkwardly. He spread his hands. “Welcome to our parlor.”

Brad smiled and looked around the room as Colin straightened up and put an arm around his shoulders. “Brad felt the need to come with me today for some reason, didn't you, Brad?” he smirked.

“Did you, Brad?” Greg said in mock surprise. “I really can't imagine why.”

“Hey, I was just curious to see where you guys worked, that's all,” Brad replied defensively.

“Uh-huh,” Ryan grinned, noticing that Brad's eyes were constantly scanning the room. “Tell me, are you looking for anyone in particular?”

Brad's eyes snapped back to Ryan. He looked like a child who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and the rest of them couldn't help laughing at his expression.

“Hey Brad,” Chip called as he approached the group with Jeff, a smile instantly lighting his face. Brad grinned, happy to see him and relieved by the distraction.

“Do you know, I think we've found who he was looking for,” Greg smirked from his seat.

“Just as well,” Colin said. “I've had to put up with him being distracted all day by a certain someone.”

Jeff laughed. “You too, huh? We should compare notes.”

“Hey,” Chip protested, looking more than a little embarrassed. “Come on, Brad, I'll show you around.” He pulled Brad away by the arm, the others watching them go with barely contained amusement.

“Ahh... sweet revenge,” Ryan smiled, taking Colin's hand and kissing it.

“Hey, have you guys got anything planned for Halloween?” Greg asked, drawing their attention. “Only a club downtown is having a themed fancy dress party and I thought it could be fun.”

Ryan glanced up at Colin with a smirk. “Halloween fancy dress, huh? I like the sound of that.”

Colin snorted. He could imagine what images Ryan was conjuring up in his head. Truth be told, he couldn't help doing the same. “Sure, why not?” he shrugged.

“Count me in, too,” Jeff grinned. “I always love a good party.”

“Great,” Greg replied. “What about the love-sick puppies over there?”

“Oh, I'm sure Col and I can persuade them,” Jeff said, slinging an arm around Colin's shoulders casually. “Right, Col?”

“Sure,” Colin chuckled. “I'll just tell Brad that Chip's going as a horny devil. That'll get him there.”


	21. Chapter 21

“Are you ready, Ry?” Colin shouted, adjusting his costume slightly.

“Almost,” came the reply.

Halloween had arrived, bringing with it a cold snap that heralded the beginning of winter, and they were preparing for the fancy dress party. Both had agreed to get dressed separately to keep their costumes a surprise until the last minute. Colin had decided to be a zombie and was wearing tattered clothes and gruesome make-up, complete with fake blood. The whole look was actually quite realistic.

“Okay,” Ryan called. “I'm coming out.”

Colin snorted. “I thought you already did that.”

“Ha ha.”

The door opened to reveal Ryan in a very alluring black and red Dracula costume, his height adding to its overall effectiveness. They both simultaneously burst into laughter at the sight of each other, moving closer to get a better look.

“Wow,” Ryan grinned, looking him up and down. “You look great! You're one sexy zombie.”

Colin laughed and reached up to straighten Ryan's cape. “You look pretty hot yourself. Do you have the teeth too?”

Ryan opened his mouth to reveal white fangs and Colin grinned. “Just make sure you don't go biting anyone but me, okay?”

“Is that an invitation?” Ryan growled, enclosing Colin in his cape and swooping in to nibble his neck gently.

“I thought we said we weren't going to be late this time, Ry,” Colin chuckled, bracing his hands against Ryan's chest in a half-hearted attempt to push him away. He was about to admit defeat when a loud melody rang out from Ryan's pocket.

Ryan released him reluctantly and pulled out his cell, glancing at the screen quickly before answering. “Hey, Jeff.”

Colin leant forward and flicked his tongue over Ryan's neck, earning a quiet moan as Ryan tried to concentrate on what Jeff was saying. Pleased with the reaction, Colin smirked mischievously and ran his hands down Ryan's torso until they rested on the noticeable bulge below and began a gentle massage.

“Sure,” Ryan said into the phone, his voice a little higher than normal. “Where?” He squeezed his eyes shut, his breathing becoming heavier as Colin's movements increased, and gasped, “Okay, no problem. Bye.”

Ending the call, he threw the phone onto the couch and immediately joined his lips to Colin's in a desperate passion-fueled kiss, his hands already working on Colin's pants. Colin's fingers had stilled but were still grasping him firmly, and Ryan couldn't help thrusting against them in an attempt to get some release. Colin smiled against his lips, quickly freeing his erection from his pants, and began to pump it firmly.

Ryan broke the kiss and moaned loudly. “Col... I'm gonna come.”

Colin dived down and took him into his mouth and Ryan found his release within moments, his head thrown back as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through his body. Colin gently sucked him dry, giving him a final lick before standing up, and Ryan pulled him into a kiss with an expression of utter contentment.

“What did Jeff want?” Colin murmured as Ryan trailed kisses along his jaw.

“We've got to pick him up on the way; car trouble.”

“Oh. We should get going then.”

“As soon as I've taken care of this,” Ryan smirked, cupping Colin's straining erection through his pants, and swooped down to repay the favor, making sure to remove his fangs first of course.

 

Ten minutes later, after straightening out their costumes and re-touching their make-up, they were on their way to pick up Jeff, both feeling thoroughly satisfied. The streets were already filled with people dressed as monsters and ghouls of every variety, going all out in honor of the occasion.

“What the hell would aliens think if they landed here right now?” Colin chuckled as they passed a man with an axe seemingly buried in his head, complete with spurts of fake blood.

“That we know how to throw one hell of a party,” Ryan grinned, his fangs shining in the darkness.

They spotted Jeff up ahead and Ryan pulled over, honking the horn twice. They both laughed at his costume as he came towards the car.

“Hey guys, thanks for this.”

“Is it safe for us to give the grim reaper a ride?” Colin grinned as Jeff got in the back and attempted to fit his scythe in.

“Sure, I'll be good,” he laughed, finally managing it and shutting the door. “Besides you're both already dead by the looks of it.”

“The man has a point,” Ryan admitted, pulling away and accelerating down the street.

Colin snorted. “Yeah, a big scary one. No one's gonna be starting a fight with you tonight, Jeff.”

Jeff chuckled and settled back onto the seat. “So, did you manage to convince Brad to join us, Col?”

“Of course,” Colin smiled. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.”

“You sure can,” Ryan smirked, bringing Colin’s hand to his mouth and kissing it.

 

The rest of the guys were waiting for them when they arrived; they’d decided to meet outside the club, figuring that it would be difficult to spot each other in costume inside. It was a strange sight to behold with Greg dressed as Frankenstein's monster, Chip as the devil, and Brad as a werewolf.

“Hey!” Greg laughed as they approached. “Cool costumes.”

“Likewise,” Ryan grinned, slipping a hand into Colin's as they all headed inside.

“Now Brad,” Colin said in a mock-stern voice. “No humping people's legs, okay?”

“Ha ha,” Brad replied sarcastically, smiling nevertheless.

“No, he'll be humping something else,” Greg murmured, smirking.

Jeff snorted. “Yeah, someone's gonna get a hairball.”

Chip and Brad gave them withering looks as everyone dissolved into laughter.

“Okay, let's get some drinks in,” Ryan chucked, dodging a witch who was eyeing him up and down appreciatively. Colin gave her a look which clearly said _'mine, back off'_ and she moved away with a scowl. Ryan was oblivious to the silent exchange, and Colin wondered if he had any idea just how much attention he was attracting in his extremely sexy costume. Chip was getting a fair few interested glances too, much to the annoyance of Brad who was sticking close to his side.

They were serving an assortment of grisly-looking drinks at the bar, keeping in the Halloween theme. Ryan bought a round of bright green cocktails for everyone, plus an orange juice for Colin who was the designated driver for the evening. Colin didn't mind too much, seeing as he had the early shift in the morning anyway. He just hoped that Brad wouldn't go too overboard with the alcohol or he was going to struggle at work the following day.

They managed to find a free table in the corner, beyond the crowded dance floor, and Colin settled down next to Ryan who automatically wrapped an arm around his waist possessively. Brad sat next to Chip and looked as if he wanted to do the same, his hairy arm creeping round the back of Chip to rest along the seat behind. Colin noticed the movement and smiled, hoping his friend had finally found someone to make him truly happy.

As the evening wore on, the conversation continued to flow, broken only by intermittent bouts of laughter, toilet breaks, and the need for more drinks. Everyone was completely relaxed, and Brad and Chip slowly began to lose their inhibitions. As he laughed at something Jeff had said, Chip's hand slid the short distance across the table to enclose Brad's gently. Brad glanced down, his heart beating a little faster, and squeezed Chip's fingers gently. He couldn't stop a smile from breaking across his face when he felt the pressure returned firmly.

When the loud music changed to a slower tune Ryan grabbed Colin's hand and hauled him onto the dance floor, wrapping his arms around him to a chorus of wolf whistles from the rest of the guys. Colin ignored them, resting his head on Ryan's shoulder contentedly. As Ryan turned him slowly on the spot Colin saw Chip get up and offer his hand to a surprised but clearly very pleased Brad, who grasped it immediately, initiating another chorus of whistling and laughter. Colin made eye contact with Brad as he passed and smiled at him supportively. 

Ryan grinned when he saw who had joined them but made no comment, content just to hold Colin close. He looked around as they revolved. It was quite amusing to see the dance floor filled with slow dancing monsters, witches, and ghouls. Colin turned his head the other way and Ryan felt him press his lips against his neck softly, his hot breath flowing across his skin. Ryan shivered slightly at the caress and rested his head atop Colin's, hugging him tighter and closing his eyes. 

He dimly heard the shrill tone of a cell phone from somewhere nearby, but he didn't give it a second thought until Greg was tapping him on the shoulder urgently. He could see how pale and worried Greg looked despite his make-up and felt his stomach drop.

“Sorry, Ry,” he said earnestly before turning to Colin who was looking confused. “Col, I need your help. It's Jen.”


	22. Chapter 22

“What's wrong?” Colin asked, putting a supportive hand on Greg's arm.

“She's bleeding, Col,” Greg replied with a tortured expression. “I think she might be losing the baby.

Colin let out a deep breath and exchanged a quick glance with Ryan before looking back at Greg. “It doesn't necessarily mean that. Has she called an ambulance yet?”

“No, she doesn't want to,” Greg said with a shake of his head. “I think it would help if it was someone she knows and trusts. Will you come with me?”

“Of course I will,” Colin replied immediately, putting an arm around Greg's shoulders. “I'll take you in our car.”

“I'll come too,” Ryan said firmly. “I'll just go and tell the others we're leaving, okay?”

“Thanks,” Greg said earnestly. ”I'll feel a lot better with you there.”

Colin guided him to the exit, glancing back to see that Ryan was following. “It's no problem, Greg. What are friends for?”

 

Colin kept up a constant flow of reassurance as he drove them to Greg's house, even though, deep inside, he was dreading the worst. Jen was still in the early stages of pregnancy when a miscarriage was, unfortunately, very common. He'd seen it countless times over the years.

Luckily there wasn't much traffic around and they made it there fairly quickly. Greg jumped out of the car and ran up the path to open the door, Ryan and Colin following quickly. They found Jen sitting silently in the front room, staring into space with an expressionless face, and Greg rushed to her side, whispering words of love and reassurance. Ryan stayed back as Colin knelt down in front of her and took her hand in his.

“Jen?” he said gently, waiting for her to look at him before continuing. “Can you tell me what happened?”

She opened her mouth to speak then closed it again, hastily looking down at her lap. ”I had stomach cramps after dinner, but I just thought it was a bit of indigestion until I went to the bathroom and saw the blood.” She looked back up at him, her eyes swimming with tears. “I think I've lost the baby, Colin.”

“Hey,” he replied, squeezing her hand gently. “Listen to me. There could be a number of reasons for this; that's just the worst case scenario. Can you remember how much blood there was?”

“No,” she sniffed, wiping her hand across her eyes. “I was just panicking.”

“That's okay. Does it feel like you're still bleeding?”

“Maybe,” she said quietly. “I don't know.”

“What about the cramps? Do you still have those?”

She shook her head. “No, they've gone.”

“That's a good sign,” Colin reassured her. “Now I'm going to take you to the hospital to get you checked over properly, but I'll stay with you the whole time if you want me to, okay?”

Jen nodded and gave him a watery smile. Greg and Ryan, who had been watching the exchange silently, sprang into action; Ryan helped Jen to her feet while Greg ran to grab a few things she'd need.

“Okay, nice and slow,” Colin said calmly, still holding her hand tightly. Ryan had his hand under her other arm supportively.

“You three make quite a sight,” she said with a small smile as they walked out to the car.

“It’s a special bonus for one night only,” Colin grinned, opening the car door. Greg raced out of the house with an overnight bag over his shoulder and got in the other side. Within minutes they were on their way to the hospital.

 

Ryan sat in the waiting room, trying and failing to concentrate on the magazine in front of him. He tossed it back onto the table and sighed. It had been half an hour since they’d arrived and Jen had been whisked off to be examined; she’d wanted both Greg and Colin to stay with her, which they were only too happy to do. He hated not knowing what was going on, and the frequent odd looks he received by passing medical staff was doing little to improve his mood.

“Hey, Ryan!”

He looked around to see Jeff, Chip, and Brad approaching, all still in their costumes and with worried expressions. Well, at least he wasn’t going to be the only person being stared at now.

“Any news?” Jeff asked, taking the seat beside Ryan. Chip and Brad both took seats opposite.

“Not yet,” Ryan replied, shaking his head. ”You guys didn’t need to come down here. I would have called you with an update.”

“I know,” Chip replied, “but we wanted to be here for Greg. We all know how much this baby means to him and Jen.”

A tense silence fell as they all contemplated the possibility of Jen losing the baby and hoped to god that she hadn’t.

“Where’s Col?” Brad asked to break the silence.

“Jen wanted him to stay with her,” Ryan replied. ”You know, I forget how good he is at his job. He was amazing with her.”

Brad nodded. ”Colin’s the best paramedic I’ve ever worked with. I’ve learnt so much from him and he’s got an awesome bedside manner. I’ve always said he should have been a doctor, but he likes to be on the sharp end as he puts it.”

“Speak of the devil,” Chip said, nodding towards Colin who’d just come through the set of doors to the waiting area. They all got to their feet as he approached with an unreadable expression.

“The baby?” Ryan asked anxiously as soon as he reached them.

“Is fine,” Colin replied with a smile. Jeff, Chip, and Brad sank back onto their chairs, breathing sighs of relief, as Ryan enveloped Colin in a hug.

“Thank god for that,” Ryan murmured into Colin’s neck, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. ”So what was it then?” he asked as they both sat down.

“It’s what we call a threatened miscarriage,” Colin explained. ”It’s very common in early pregnancy; one in every four women have bleeding in the first trimester and half of those go on to have a healthy baby. Jen’s under strict doctor’s orders to stay in bed for at least a week, but she should be fine.”

“How’s Greg doing?” Jeff asked.

“He’s a bit shaken up, but he’s okay; very relieved, obviously. I said I’d give them some time alone.”

A nurse walked past and glanced at him, then did a double-take and stopped. ”Colin! I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Hi Kate,” he smiled as she took in the rest of the group.

“Is there a hospital Halloween party I should know about?”

“No,” he chuckled. “We’re here for some friends of mine.”

“Oh, nothing serious I hope.”

“No, it was a false alarm luckily. This is Jeff, Chip, and you know Brad,” he said, pointing to each of them in turn.

“Oh my goodness, Brad!” she laughed and he grinned at her. “I couldn’t see you through all that hair.”

“And this is my partner, Ryan,” Colin finished, taking Ryan’s hand in his.

“Oh, so this is the man we’ve heard so much about!”

Ryan glanced sideways at Colin and pretended to look worried. “It’s all lies,” he joked.

Kate let out a bark of laughter. “Don't worry, it was all good. I’m very pleased to meet you Ryan; it’s nice to finally put a face to the name. I love your costume, too.”

“Thanks,” Ryan grinned, flashing her his fangs. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Well, I’d better get on,” she sighed. “You lot make quite a sight, you know. Try not to scare the patients too much.”

Colin chuckled. “Yeah, I think we’d better keep Jeff away from the geriatric ward, don’t you?”

Everyone looked over at Jeff in his full grim reaper outfit and burst into laughter.

“Well I didn’t think I’d end up at a hospital, did I?” Jeff said, rolling his eyes. ”I could clear a few beds for you though,” he added with a grin.

Kate snorted. “No, that’s fine. I’ll see you all later.”

“It’s no good,” Brad said once she’d gone. “I need to get some fresh air. I’m roasting in this costume.”

“I’ll come with you,” Chip grinned, getting to his feet. “Just in case you faint and need medical attention.”

“Which you’ll be only too happy to provide,” Jeff smirked, getting a clip round the ear from Chip as he passed.

“Ow,” Jeff whined, rubbing his ear and scowling at Chip’s retreating back. ”Hey, I need medical attention, Chip. Come back.”

Chip gave him the one-fingered salute and kept walking as Colin and Ryan chuckled at the exchange.

“Hey, guys.”

The three of them turned simultaneously and jumped up to greet Greg, who looked tired but happy. There was a flurry of hugs and back slaps as they all expressed their relief at the good news.

“Where were Brad and Chip sneaking off to?” Greg asked curiously.

Jeff snorted. ”Brad was suffering from heat exhaustion in his costume so Chip’s probably going to remove it.”

“Thanks for the image,” Greg laughed, shaking his head. ”Listen, they’re keeping Jen in overnight and they’ve said I can stay with her so you guys can go. I appreciate you being here for us, though.”

Ryan waved his hand dismissively. ”No problem, buddy. We’re just glad mom and baby are doing okay. “

“Yeah,” Colin agreed. “I’ll try to pop in to see Jen tomorrow before she’s discharged, if I have a spare minute that is.”

“She’d love that,” Greg smiled, pulling Colin into an impromptu hug. ”Thank you, Col; from both of us.”

“Anytime,” Colin smiled, returned the hug.

 

“Well, that wasn’t quite the night I had envisaged,” Ryan remarked as they left the hospital, “but at least it had a happy ending.”

“For more than one of us,” Jeff smirked, pointing into the shadows on their right. Chip and Brad were entwined in a passionate embrace, completely oblivious to their audience.

Colin chuckled at the sight and slung an arm around Jeff’s shoulders as they carried on walking. ”Now we’ve just got to find someone for you.”


	23. Chapter 23

“How the hell are you supposed to get this stuff off again?”

Colin chuckled as he removed the remainder of his Halloween costume and went into the bathroom, where Ryan was peering into the mirror and trying, unsuccessfully, to remove his make-up with a Kleenex. 

“Come here,” he said, grabbing a wash cloth and running it under the faucet for a few seconds. 

He sat Ryan down on the edge of the bath and began to gently rub the cloth across his face, pausing every so often to rinse and squeeze it out before continuing. Ryan was content to sit there with his eyes closed and allow Colin to take over, feeling increasingly sleepy. He only realized he’d nodded off when he felt Colin’s lips on his and awoke with a start, quickly melting into the embrace.

Colin pulled back, offering an apologetic smile. “Sorry to wake you, Ry, but there’s no way I can carry your dead weight over to the bed.”

Ryan leant forward and kissed him again. “Hey, feel free to wake me up like that anytime.”

“You may regret saying that,” Colin grinned, pulling him to his feet.

A few minutes later they settled into bed and turned off the light, automatically assuming their normal position with Colin’s head resting comfortably on Ryan’s chest.

“Jen will definitely be okay, right?” Ryan asked softly, breaking the silence.

He felt Colin turn his head to look up at him. “Nothing is definite in life, but there’s no reason to think otherwise. This was her body warning her to take it easy; as long as she follows the doctor’s advice, she should go on to have a healthy baby.”

“I hope so,” Ryan sighed. “They’ve both wanted to start a family for a long time.”

Colin hugged him tighter as he settled back down. Ryan kissed the top of his head with a smile, feeling incredibly lucky. “I’m glad Brad and Chip have finally got their act together,” he smirked.

“Mmm, took them long enough. They both deserve some happiness, though.”

“Yeah,” Ryan nodded thoughtfully. “I think Chip had a bit of a crush on you before he met Brad.

Colin snorted. “He did not.”

“Hey, I’ve known him for a long time and I saw the way he looked at you. Not that I blame him.”

Something clicked in Colin’s mind. He raised himself up so that he was leaning on one elbow, level with Ryan’s face, and looked into his eyes. “So _that’s_ why you were so possessive when he was around me.”

“Well, he is younger and better looking than me,” Ryan mumbled sheepishly.

Colin laughed and shook his head. Ironically, it was always Ryan who was getting stared at and flirted with, but Ryan honestly didn’t see it. It was nice to know that the slight insecurity worked both ways. He lovingly placed a hand on Ryan’s cheek. “I never saw Chip look at me that way because I only have eyes for you, Ry. You have nothing to worry about.” 

Ryan smiled and pulled Colin’s head down, their lips meeting in a slow and tender kiss. “I know,” he murmured against Colin’s lips. “I’m an idiot.” He felt Colin smile then kiss him again.

“Yes, but you’re _my_ idiot. Now go to sleep.”

Ryan ran his hands down Colin’s body, his suggestive expression lost in the darkness. “But I’m not tired now.”

“Oh really? Well, what would you rather do then?” 

Ryan rolled over so that he was covering Colin and smirked. “I’m sure I can think of something.”

 

Ryan was awoken the next morning by his alarm clock beeping cheerfully. He swiftly turned it off and turned his attention to the man curled against him, who had stirred slightly at the sound but was now fast asleep once more. Ryan liked nothing more than waking up to find Colin in his arms. His days of waking up cold and lonely now seemed to belong to another lifetime.

Colin’s chest was rising and falling slowly as he slept, and there was a hint of a smile around his mouth, which was open slightly, expelling warm air across Ryan’s skin. Ryan loved to watch him sleep and did so whenever the opportunity arose, even though Colin teased him about it when he caught him. There was something about seeing him completely relaxed by his side, the innate trust that it symbolized, which made his heart flutter every time and whisper _mine_.

He really didn’t want to move from that spot, but he had to get ready for work so he reluctantly extricated himself from Colin’s embrace. As he started to get up, an arm around his waist pulled him backwards so that he ended up back where he started. Colin hushed his protest with a firm kiss, testing Ryan’s resolve to get up at all that day.

“Don’t think you can get up without giving me my good morning kiss,” Colin smiled, nuzzling into his neck.

Ryan chuckled and wrapped his arms around him securely. “I figured you could use the sleep, especially after last night.”

Colin nipped at his ear and whispered, “I’d rather have you.”

The combination of his words and gentle touch sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine and he turned his head to capture Colin’s lips in a heated kiss. “I’ve got to leave in twenty minutes.”

Colin reached down and wrapped his fingers around Ryan’s arousal with a smirk. “Better make this quick then.”

 

Ryan arrived at work only a few minutes late, but he was still subjected to a knowing grin from Greg, who was talking to Jeff and Chip. “Here’s someone else who got lucky last night.”

“What? Just because I’m a few minutes late?”

“Well, that and the giant hickey on your neck,” Greg smirked, pointing to the red mark just visible above Ryan’s collar. Chip looked relieved to be out of the spotlight as all eyes followed Greg’s finger.

Ryan simply shrugged and sat down. “How’s Jen this morning?”

Greg laughed at the swift change of subject and took a seat behind his desk, handing Ryan a coffee. “She’s good, thanks. Her mom’s come down to look after her until she gets back on her feet.”

“Oooh. Live-in mother-in-law,” Jeff winced. “That should be fun for you.”

Greg chuckled. “She’s not that bad. I’m just glad that Jen will have someone with her when I’m not there, especially after what happened last night.”

Ryan nodded and took a sip of coffee before turning to grin at Chip. “So, you’ve got a paramedic of your very own now then?”

Chip rolled his eyes with a smile. “Yes, Brad and I are officially in a relationship, and no, we haven’t slept together yet, despite what some people may think.” He looked pointedly at Greg as he finished and Greg snorted loudly.

“Whatever, man.”

Jeff slung an arm around Chip’s shoulders. “Seriously, we’re all really happy for you, buddy. Brad’s a good guy.”

“Thanks,” Chip smiled, wrapping his own arm around Jeff in a sideways hug.

The smiles were wiped off their faces by the approach of two official-looking men in black suits that just screamed federal agents.

“Which one of you is Officer Davis?”

“That’s me,” Jeff replied, curious as to what they wanted.

One of the men held up a badge and gestured towards the door. “I’m Agent Reeves from the FBI, and this is Agent Jackson. Could you come with us please, Officer?”

Ryan and Greg both stood up simultaneously to protest. “What the hell is this about?” Ryan demanded, his brow furrowed.

“We’d just like to ask him a few questions, that’s all.”

“This is about the bomber, isn’t it?” Ryan asked furiously.

The two agents exchanged a quick glance. “I’m afraid we're not at liberty to discuss that at the present time.”

“Not at liberty to discuss it?” Ryan asked in disbelief. “It was our case to start with, you—”

“Ryan,” Jeff interrupted quickly to avoid trouble. “It’s okay. It’s just a few questions.”

“No, this is about you being a suspect,” Ryan fumed.

“A suspect for what?” Chip asked, looking confused. “Not the bombings, surely?”

If they were misguided enough to think that Jeff was involved, then Ryan wasn’t going to keep their secret any longer. “They think a cop is helping the guy.”

The lead agent’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, obviously not expecting Ryan to be privy to that information. He stepped close to them and lowered his voice.

“Look, we have to follow up all possible leads on this. We have evidence that warrants the questioning of Officer Davis and it’s our job to get it done, whether you like it or not. Let’s not make a scene here.”

Ryan, Greg, and Chip all opened their mouths to protest further, but Jeff held his hand up. “I’ll go with them, guys. I have nothing to hide.”

Jeff was led away by the two agents casually, so as not to alert the other officers to what was going on, while Ryan stood watching silently with Greg and Chip, his fists clenched in anger. He knew without a doubt that Jeff had absolutely nothing to do with this. If the feds had evidence against him, then he was being cleverly set up. The question was; who was behind it?


	24. Chapter 24

Ryan was royally pissed off. It had been a few hours since Jeff’s departure and none of them had heard anything—not that they’d be told if there was news. Trust the feds to get everything wrong. They were a bunch of fucking idiots if they couldn’t see this for what it really was; a set-up.

It was common knowledge within the bureau that Jeff was the latest in a long line of people in his family to join the force. He was a cop born and bred, and was a damn fine officer with an unblemished record. The idea that he would do something like this was quite simply laughable to all who knew him.

Both Greg and Chip had been unusually quiet since the feds had left, the latter having been given another officer to work with until Jeff’s return, which he was less than happy about. His new partner was young and eager, obviously straight out of the academy, and very anxious to do well. While Chip had nothing against him personally, it just felt all wrong and he hoped that he’d get his real partner back quickly.

Ryan was now sitting in the squad car with Greg, his expression betraying the anger bubbling beneath the surface.

“I’m sure Jeff will clear the whole thing up,” Greg said, rather unconvincingly. 

They both knew what the feds could be like, having had the misfortune of dealing with them in the past. Ryan had told Greg everything from his conversation with the chief, figuring he might as well finish what he’d started. Whilst initially shocked by the revelations, Greg had been totally understanding of his silence up until then. He realized what a difficult position Ryan had been put into and Ryan was very thankful for his support.

Ryan turned to face him, preparing to voice his scepticism, when the radio blared to life. It was directed at another squad car across town; an ambulance was requesting assistance at an incident where a man had become violent. Ryan got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, which only increased as the message went on to report that a paramedic had been injured.

“Let’s go, Greg.”

Greg gave him an exasperated look. ”It’s right the way across town, Ry, which is why dispatch didn’t call us. We’ve been through this before; the odds of Colin being involved are slim at best.”

Ryan shook his head. ”It’s different this time.” 

“Uh-huh,” Greg replied, looking thoroughly unconvinced.

“Look Greg, I can’t explain it, but I know it’s Col,” Ryan said firmly. ”I just feel it. Can you just trust me… please?”

Greg took one look at his pleading expression and relented. “Okay,” he sighed, pulling away and hitting the sirens, “but I’m gonna kick your ass if we go all the way over there for nothing.”

Ryan couldn’t help smiling, despite his worry. ”Deal.”

 

They arrived at the scene in a matter of minutes, having pushed the pedal to the metal. Ryan’s bad gut-feeling was proved right when they both saw Brad tending to Colin in the back of the ambulance, but he was too worried to feel any sense of triumph.

When Colin spotted Ryan walking quickly towards him, Greg not far behind, he turned on Brad accusingly. ”You said you wouldn’t call him, Brad.”

Brad frowned and turned, making eye contact with Ryan. ”I didn’t! I swear.”

Ryan climbed into the back of the ambulance and gently cupped Colin’s face to inspect the damage as Brad stepped aside. Colin’s lip was cut and there were abrasions down one cheek.

Colin opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of drunken shouting made Ryan turn to see the perp in cuffs, being dragged to a nearby squad car by two officers. He was barely aware of his actions as he released Colin and headed towards the man, his fury blocking out everything else, including Colin’s shouts for him to come back. After everything that had happened, this incident proved to be the final straw and finally pushed his anger beyond all control.

He reached the man in four strides and wasted no time in punching his face so hard that he was knocked to the ground, despite the officers attempting to keep hold of him.

“How does it feel, you son of a bitch?”

The other two officers were staring at Ryan, clearly confused by the outburst. It was only Greg’s arms around Ryan which stopped him from finishing the man off, although he struggled to get free.

“ _Ryan!_ ”

He stopped struggling when he heard that voice and turned. Colin was standing just behind him and it was the first time that Ryan had seen him truly angry. His own anger quickly evaporated at the sight. 

Satisfied that he wasn’t going to try anything further, Greg released his grip and the other cops quickly dragged the nearly unconscious man to their car.

“Please excuse us for a moment, Greg,” Colin said icily. “Ryan and I need to have a little talk.”

Greg beat a hasty retreat as Colin stepped closer to Ryan and crossed his arms, glaring. ”What the _hell_ did you think you were doing?”

“Don’t tell me you’re defending him after what he did?” Ryan asked in disbelief, his anger re-igniting.

“What did he do, Ry?” Colin retorted. ”Do you even know? No, you don’t, because you didn’t even stop to ask me what happened! You just charged in like a bull in a china shop.”

There was a moment of tense silence before Colin sighed and dropped his arms. ”This,” he said more calmly, gesturing to his face, “was nothing more than an accident. Sure, the guy was being aggressive, but he didn’t hit me, Ry. I fell. Brad called for back-up because we couldn’t handle him on our own.”

Ryan’s whole body seemed to slump as the fight went out of him, and he looked down at the ground. ”I’m sorry. I fucked up.”

Colin stepped closer to him and hooked a finger under his chin to force his gaze upwards. ”I understand your need to protect me—really, I do—but please don’t let your anger dictate your actions. I’ve seen too many people go down that road and, believe me, it only ends in pain for everyone involved.” He released Ryan’s chin but kept their gazes locked. ”I just want you to be the man I fell in love with.”

Ryan sank back against the car beside him and ran a hand across his face wearily. ”I know, and I want to be that person, Col. It’s just been a really bad day.”

Colin heard the remorse and misery in Ryan’s words and felt his heart clench. He should have guessed that something bad had happened to make Ryan act this way. He reached out to put a supportive hand on his arm. ”Tell me.”

 

Greg and Brad stood watching them from a little way off.

“Well, Col’s stopped shouting,” Greg remarked. “That’s got to be a good sign, right?”

“Yeah,” Brad replied. “Unless he’s gone into the second phase of his anger, when he goes really quiet.”

Greg shook his head. ”I never thought I’d see Colin angry. He doesn’t look like he’s got it in him.”

Brad let out a bark of laughter. ”Don’t be fooled, man. Colin may be mister nice guy the majority of the time, but get on his bad side and you’ll regret it.”

“Speaking from experience?” Greg smirked.

“I may have been on the receiving end once or twice,” Brad grinned. ”I just hope that Ryan has got a good defence.”

“He has,” Greg sighed. ”He just needs to tell Colin what happened with Jeff.”

Brad looked at him sharply. ”What happened with Jeff?”

 

As Colin listened to Ryan’s description of the morning’s events and everything he’d kept inside over the last few weeks, his momentary loss of control became clear. When he’d finished, Colin wasted no time at all in pulling him into a hug, whispering words of comfort and reassurance as Ryan leaned into him.

“So, are we okay?” Ryan asked quietly when they finally broke apart.

Colin squeezed his arm. ”Of course we are. I just hope you’re not going to get into trouble over this.”

Ryan shrugged and gave him a shaky smile as they headed over to where Brad and Greg were waiting. ”As long as I’ve got you, I can take anything they throw at me.”

“Did you crazy kids work everything out?” Greg asked when they were within earshot.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Colin replied with a small smile.

“Okay, we’d all better get back to work then before we get fired,” Greg said, clapping his hands together.

Ryan nodded and leant down to kiss Colin quickly, careful to avoid his cut. ”I’ll see you later.”

“Let me know if you hear anything about Jeff, okay?”

“I promise.”

Ryan felt a little better after his heart-to-heart with Colin, but as he walked back to the car with Greg, he had the distinct feeling that the day was only going to get worse. The moment they got back to the bureau at the end of the shift, he heard something which made his stomach drop.

“ _Stiles!_ ”

He hated being right all the time. Greg gave him a sympathetic look as he trudged towards the chief’s office, ignoring Wayne’s smug smile and preparing himself for the worst.


	25. Chapter 25

Several officers gave Ryan curious looks as he approached the chief’s office, obviously wondering what he’d done to warrant that loud a shout. He ignored them and kept walking, passing Karen who was on the phone as usual. He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t even glance his way, too intent on conversing with the person on the other end and absorbed in her own sense of self-importance. He couldn’t honestly remember ever seeing her off the damn thing.

He finally entered the office and was immediately ordered to close the door behind him, catching a last glimpse of Greg’s slightly anxious face looking over as he clicked it shut.

“Sit,” Drew snapped. Ryan walked stiffly to the chair and sank down onto it, his expression bordering on defiant.

“What the hell were you thinking, Stiles? Huh?” Ryan winced at the shouted question but remained silent. ”Did you know that there were several witnesses to your little display? Not to mention the fact that the perp is now screaming police brutality.”

Ryan gritted his teeth and looked down at his hands. ”It was a momentary lapse of judgment, sir.”

“No shit,” Drew yelled, throwing his pen down forcefully. ”You’ve brought the whole goddamned department into disrepute. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment without having this to deal with.”

“I’m sorry sir,” Ryan mumbled, starting to feel a little guilty for adding to Drew’s burden. He didn’t envy the man’s position.

Drew leaned back in his chair, which creaked slightly in protest, and lowered his voice to a normal level. ”An apology isn’t gonna cut it this time, Stiles. This will have to go on your permanent record, and you’ll be damned lucky if the DA doesn’t decide to make an example of you. This is a bad time to draw attention to yourself, and I can certainly do without losing another officer today.”

Ryan’s head shot up and a frown creased his brow. ”Do you mean Jeff? What happened?”

Drew studied him for a moment before answering. ”Officer Davis is taking a leave of absence until further notice.”

Ryan was immediately out of his chair, his former anger back with a vengeance as he slammed his fists down on the desk. ”This is bullshit, sir! Jeff has nothing to do with the bomber and you know it.”

Drew shook his head wearily, suddenly looking much older. ”I don’t like it any more than you do, but it’s out of my hands. The feds say that they have damning evidence against him and they are within their rights to pull him off active duty.”

“Yeah, well the feds have shit for brains,” Ryan replied furiously, beginning to pace up and down. ”It’s obvious that the real culprit has discovered the feds’ suspicions and that Jeff is being framed.”

“Maybe so,” Drew said grimly. “But knowing it and proving it are two very different things. You’ll have to provide some pretty hard evidence to convince them of Jeff’s innocence. They’re not going to accept your word for it, and they won’t appreciate your interference.”

“To hell with what they think,” Ryan replied forcefully, stopping and turning to face his superior. ”I’ll be damned if I’m just gonna stand by and watch Jeff take the fall for this.” 

“That dangerous talk, Ryan,” Drew said seriously, surprising him with the use of his first name. ”You’re playing with fire. And I can’t protect you if you go up against the feds and lose.”

Ryan looked nothing short of determined as he answered. ”I’ll take my chances.” 

 

When Ryan left the chief’s office, still glowering, he immediately saw that Colin and Brad had arrived in his absence and were talking in low tones with Greg. As if sensing Ryan’s presence, Colin looked up and made eye contact, his worry showing clearly on his face.

“How bad is it?” Colin asked anxiously the moment Ryan had reached them and greeted him with a quick peck on the lips. Greg and Brad were also looking concerned.

“I don’t know yet,” Ryan sighed, dropping into his seat and looking up at them. ”It’s definitely going on my record though.”

Colin perched on the edge of the desk and gave Ryan a sympathetic look. ”I’m sorry, Ry.”

Ryan shook his head firmly. ”I really don’t care about that right now. I’ve just heard that Jeff’s been pulled from active service by the feds.”

Three sets of eyebrows shot up at this unwelcome piece of news.

”You’re shitting me,” Greg exclaimed with an expression of outraged disbelief. ”They actually believe that he’s been working with the bomber?”

“Yep,” Ryan scowled. ”They’re so desperate to show that they’ve made progress on this case that they’re completely ignoring common sense and pinning the blame on an innocent man.”

“They’re blinkered,” Colin agreed with a sigh.

“Does Chip know yet?” Brad asked quietly.

“I’d say he does,” Greg murmured, looking over Ryan’s head to where Chip had just entered. Chip didn’t look anything like his normal, happy, self; his expression could only be described as black. His young partner kept shooting nervous glances at him as he walked alongside.

“I take it you’ve heard the news then?” Greg asked Chip once he’d reached the group.

Chip nodded and turned to the man beside him. ”Can you go and start the paperwork on that burglary, Joe? I’ll be over in a minute.” 

Joe nodded and moved away, looking happy to escape the tense atmosphere and do something productive. When Joe had gone, Chip let out a deep sigh and gratefully accepted a hug from Brad.

“Jeff called me a little while ago,” Chip explained when Brad released him. ”He didn’t say much, but I could tell that he’s in a bad way.”

“That’s understandable considering the circumstances,” Colin murmured.

“Yeah,” Chip replied with a sigh. He looked at Colin properly for the first time since his arrival and immediately frowned. ”Shit, Col, what happened to your face?” He moved forwards and lifted a hand to hold Colin’s chin gently as he examined the damage. ”Did someone do this to you?”

“No,” Colin replied patiently, moving his head out of Chip’s grasp. “It was an accident, and I’m fine. Let’s just concentrate on helping Jeff, okay? He’s going to need his friends around him at a time like this.”

“Yeah, we should go and see him,” Ryan agreed. “Make sure he knows that he has our full support.”

“They wouldn’t have suspended him if they didn’t have hard evidence,” an annoyingly smug voice called from an adjacent desk. 

Colin placed a hand on Ryan’s arm and gave him a warning look; the last thing he needed was to get into further trouble. Ryan took a deep breath as he turned to face Wayne. ”What do you know about it?”

Wayne shrugged and clasped his fingers together as he leaned comfortably back in his chair. ”The whole department knows about it by now. I can’t say I’m surprised. I always thought that there was something dodgy about him.”

Colin and Brad were forced to restrain Ryan and Chip as they both started forward. All five of them were looking at Wayne with complete contempt.

“Listen to me, asshole,” Ryan growled, pointing at Wayne threateningly. “Jeff is a damn good cop who’s being set up. And if I found out that you had anything to do with it, I swear to god, you’ll wish you’d never been born.”


	26. Chapter 26

Ryan, Colin, Brad, and Chip had to search half the bars and clubs in the city before they eventually found Jeff in what could only be described as a shit-hole downtown. Greg had wanted to come along too, but he’d needed to get home to Jen, which everyone completely understood. 

Several of the bar’s regular patrons looked up groggily as the group entered, but quickly lost interest and returned to their drinks. Ryan spotted Jeff over at the bar, hunched over a glass of what looked like whisky, and led the way over to him, navigating his way through the maze of tables and chairs.

Jeff glanced up briefly as they all gathered around him, a look of surprise crossing his face, which morphed into a frown. From the state of him, Ryan could tell that he’d been drowning his sorrows for a while; his eyes had that glassy, unfocused quality that too much alcohol induced.

“What are you all doing here?” Jeff mumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on the small amount of liquid hugging the bottom of his glass.

“We’re here to offer our support,” Chip replied, slinging an arm around Jeff’s shoulders. ”You should never drink alone.”

“I’m not very good company at the moment.”

Ryan dropped onto the stool next to Jeff and put a hand on his shoulder consolingly. ”We all know that you had nothing to do with any of this shit, buddy. It’s a goddamned set-up if ever I saw one.”

Jeff gave him a humorless smile. ”Yeah. I doubt that knowledge is gonna save my career, though.”

Ryan gave his shoulder a squeeze. ”I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’re not going to stop until we find out who was really responsible and prove your innocence.”

“Absolutely,” Colin agreed from his place beside Ryan. “Don’t give up yet, Jeff. You know what Ryan’s like when he’s determined.”

This brought a genuine smile to Jeff’s face as he nodded. ”The world had better watch out.”

“We’re all behind you, no matter what,” Chip said firmly. “And I’d like my partner back.”

“It’s only been eight hours, Chip,” Jeff chuckled, downing the rest of his drink in one go and swaying slightly on his stool.

“Trust me, eight hours with your replacement seems like a lifetime,” Chip sighed. ”Now let’s get you home, okay?”

Jeff nodded and stood up briefly then immediately thought better of it and sat back down again. ”I think I’ve drunk too much.”

“No shit,” Brad muttered with a smirk.

Colin rolled his eyes at Brad’s helpful response and went to Jeff’s aid, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him while Chip took the other side. Jeff looked at Colin groggily and frowned. ”Have you been in a fight, Colin?”

“Yes, with a sidewalk,” Colin replied, exasperated. ”Come on, up you get.”

Once they’d managed to get Jeff upright he paused, looking around at all of them seriously, and when he spoke his voice was rough with emotion. ”Thanks, guys.”

 

“God, what a day,” Ryan said as he slumped onto their couch a little later and closed his eyes.

Colin, who was busy trying to feed a yowling Socrates, looked over at his sprawled form and nodded. ”It’s been an eventful one.”

“Mmm,” Ryan mumbled. ”I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get up again, now I’ve sat down.”

He jumped a few moments later when a warm pair of lips met his, opening his eyes and wrapping his arms around his lover.

“I have ways of getting you up,” Colin smirked against his lips, eyes dancing mischievously.

“Oh yes?” Ryan grinned.

“Uh-huh.” Colin lifted his head and unwrapped Ryan’s arms from around him, pressing them against the couch firmly, then he leant forwards very slowly. When his lips were barely brushing Ryan’s teasingly, Ryan’s eyes closing in anticipation, Colin suddenly moved upwards and licked Ryan’s nose before fleeing from the couch in a fit of laughter.

Ryan’s eyes flew open in surprise and he launched himself off the couch to hunt Colin down, fully intending to make him pay dearly. ”You can run but you can’t hide,” he called with a grin as he cornered Colin in the kitchen.

“Wow, look at that,” Colin said, all wide-eyed innocence. “You’re up!”

“Yes, I am,” Ryan growled as he advanced, pinning Colin up against the counter. “And you’re nothing but a tease.”

“Let me make it up to you then.” 

With that, Colin launched himself forwards and kissed Ryan forcefully, pleased when Ryan instantly forgot about revenge and deepened the kiss with a quiet moan of satisfaction. It was just what they both needed after such a tough day and they threw themselves into it enthusiastically.

They were both breathless when they broke apart, Ryan’s fingers already working on Colin’s buttons. ”I want you,” he panted. “Right here, right now.”

“Sounds good to me,” Colin replied huskily, opening Ryan’s shirt and running his hands across the firm, bare, flesh before bending down to run his tongue over a nipple.

Ryan hissed in pleasure and ripped the shirt off Colin, immediately reaching for his belt buckle. Colin licked a trail up Ryan’s chest and gently bit his neck before attacking his lips once more, gasping as Ryan managed to open his pants and reach inside to stroke him firmly. He quickly undid Ryan’s pants to repay the favor, smirking at the whimper it drew from him.

They stayed like that for several minutes, stroking and kissing desperately, then Colin broke the kiss and whispered, “Now, Ry.”

Ryan removed their pants and underwear completely, then turned Colin around and bent him over the kitchen counter. Grabbing the lube they kept handy for just such an occasion, he coated himself thoroughly with a groan before preparing Colin. 

Colin, however, quickly lost patience. “Just fuck me, Ryan. Now.”

Ryan chuckled at the normally quiet man’s feral growl and thrust in up to the hilt, relishing the feeling as Colin moaned in pleasure.

Colin tried to move but Ryan held his hips firmly in place with a smirk, staying buried deep within him. 

“Move, goddamnit,” Colin swore, trying to wriggle out of Ryan’s grip.

Ryan leant forward and placed a kiss on his neck. ”Just a little teasing of my own,” he whispered wickedly in Colin’s ear, then released his hold. Colin immediately moved forwards and thrust back hard, making him emit a guttural groan.

Any plan of taking it slow went out the window as Ryan pulled out and slammed in again repeatedly, adjusting the angle of his hips until he heard Colin’s sharp intake of breath, which meant he’d hit the jackpot. He concentrated on hitting that spot with each thrust, all the worry and anxiety which had been plaguing him cast aside, replaced by an almost overwhelming pleasure.

Colin’s knuckles were white as he held on to the counter, his face flat against the cool, smooth, surface, his breath rapidly blowing puffs of hot air across it. He closed his eyes and his breath hitched as he felt the beginnings of his orgasm stir within him. 

Ryan could tell that Colin was close, teetering on the edge himself, and reached to grab his erection as he continued to thrust. He only had to tug it twice before Colin came over his hand with a deep moan, and instantly felt his own orgasm overtake him as he spilled himself deep within Colin. He could have sworn he glimpsed heaven at that point; he certainly saw stars.

Having finished his food, Socrates looked at both of them disdainfully before stalking off to resume terrorizing the neighborhood.


	27. Chapter 27

Ryan awoke early the next morning, before dawn, his mind too full for sleep. He lay cocooned in the warmth of the blankets for a while with his arms around Colin, listening to his steady breathing, and tried to gather his thoughts into a workable plan of action. His determination to prove Jeff’s innocence was as strong as ever.

As the first golden rays of the sun peeped through the blinds, Ryan gently extricated himself from Colin and got up. He smiled as Colin immediately moved across to where he’d lain, his hand searching for him even in sleep, and bent down to kiss his cheek softly. He was almost tempted to crawl back into bed with him—it was their day off, after all—but he had a mission to accomplish, so he got dressed and left Colin sleeping peacefully.

After brewing a much needed pot of coffee, Ryan sat down at the table with a mug and turned his laptop on. While he could do most of the investigative work at home, a certain amount could only be done using the police database at the bureau. He would have to be very careful.

An hour and a half later, he sat back and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He’d managed to find the names of everyone who’d received the medal for distinguished service over the past twenty years, which was less than ten, and had cross-referenced those names to every police officer in the bureau with nothing to show for it; well , nothing helpful anyway. At least he knew one of the reasons why Jeff was a suspect now and why he was being framed—his uncle had received the medal twelve years ago. If Ryan could find that out easily enough, anyone could have. His musings were interrupted by a warm pair of arms coming around him and a soft kiss to his neck.

“Morning, gorgeous,” a voice said in his ear.

Ryan’s frown of concentration turned into a smile as he turned to give Colin a proper kiss and pulled him onto his lap. ”Morning.”

Colin grinned and turned to peer at the computer screen, picking up Ryan’s coffee cup then quickly discarding its stone cold contents with a grimace. ”What are you doing?”

Ryan’s voice was muffled as he nuzzled Colin’s neck. ”Just some research for Jeff. I haven’t found anything promising so far, though.”

“You should talk to him,” Colin said seriously. “See what the feds have against him and go from there.”

Ryan straightened up, looking thoughtful. ”That’s a good idea,” he replied, pulling out his phone. ”I’ll get him to meet me at the coffee house in fifteen minutes.”

“Us,” Colin corrected him, leaning in for a kiss. “And make it forty five minutes.”

Ryan raised his eyebrows, unable to suppress a grin. ”Whatever did you have in mind?”

Colin simply smirked as he got up and walked away. ”Come back to bed and I’ll show you.”

Ryan made a quick call to a very groggy Jeff and then headed eagerly back to the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.

 

A little over forty five minutes later, they both entered the coffee house and saw Jeff raise his hand in greeting from a table near the back.

“Well, look what the cat’s dragged in,” Lucy beamed from behind the counter. ”I was beginning to think you two were cheating on me with another coffee house.”

Ryan looked a little sheepish as they walked towards her. ”Sorry, Lucy. It’s been a bit hectic lately.”

She laughed and waved her hand. ”It’s okay. I know you boys are busy. I’m just missing my morning dose of sunshine.”

Colin snorted. ”You can’t be talking about Ryan.” He was forced to dodge an elbow aimed at his ribs, and raised his hands in surrender. ”Okay,” he laughed. “I’ll go say hello to Jeff while you get the coffees.”

Lucy studied Ryan’s expression as he watched Colin walk towards Jeff, and smiled. ”You’re very lucky.”

“Don’t I know it,” he replied seriously, before turning to her and smiling back. ”Are you seeing anyone?”

She shook her head. “No such luck.” Her eyes twinkled as she added, “All the good ones are either married or gay. Now, what can I get you? The usual?”

“Yes please.”

She set about making them and Ryan looked thoughtfully over at the other two, who were already deep in conversation. Maybe something good could come out of this damned mess after all.

 

Colin must have worked his magic because Jeff was smiling by the time Ryan joined them with the coffees. He certainly looked a lot better than the last time they'd seen him.

“How are you doing, buddy?” Ryan asked, sliding in to sit beside Colin and automatically laying a hand on his leg.

Jeff shrugged. ”Okay, I guess. I actually started getting ready for work this morning, before I remembered that I couldn’t go in. It’s gonna take some getting used to.”

Colin and Ryan both looked sympathetic. ”We’re going to sort this out, Jeff,” Colin assured him.

“Are you swapping your paramedic uniform for a cop’s?” Jeff asked with a smile.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m going to help any way I can.”

“Thanks. The feds seem pretty convinced that it was me, though.”

Ryan leaned forward and picked up his coffee cup to take a sip. ”What evidence do they have against you?”

Jeff looked around the room briefly before leaning forward as well, resting his arms in front of him. ”I’m not supposed to discuss this with anyone,” he murmured, “and I’m being followed by a couple of agents.” He nodded slightly over Colin’s shoulder and Ryan turned, on the pretence of removing his jacket, to glance at two guys sitting a few tables away. They might as well have had feds T-shirts on.

“Wow, they’ve really got the undercover look down,” Ryan said sarcastically as he turned back, keeping his voice low, and Jeff grinned.

“So, what aren’t you allowed to tell us?” Ryan asked with a smirk. ”I know that your uncle received the medal for distinguished service.”

Jeff looked surprised for a moment, then sighed. ”Yeah, that certainly didn’t help my case. Uncle Bill was forced to take early retirement some years ago, which he fought every step of the way. I can’t say I blame him.”

Ryan shook his head. ”Let me guess… cutbacks?”

“Yep. Some things never change, do they? Anyway, the last I heard he’d moved out east somewhere. He hasn’t been in contact for a while. The feds obviously can’t find him either.”

Ryan took another mouthful of coffee. ”Okay, what else?”

Jeff lowered his voice further, and Colin had to lean forward to hear him. ”They traced calls to the bomber back to the phone on my desk. I couldn’t believe it when they told me, but they showed me the phone records and it was right there in black and white.”

“Surely that doesn’t prove anything,” Colin murmured, looking sideways at Ryan for back-up. ”With the amount of people coming and going in the bureau, anyone could have made those calls undetected.”

Ryan nodded, but looked grim. ”More fuel for the fire, though.”

“And they found more incriminating evidence on my computer,” Jeff continued, staring down into his almost empty cup. ”Whoever’s setting me up is doing a damn good job.”

“Anyone need a refill?”

The three of them visibly jumped at Lucy’s voice, then looked up at her in relief.

“No, we’re fine thanks Lucy,” Ryan said warmly. ”Hey, I don’t think you’ve met our friend yet. Lucy, Jeff, Jeff, Lucy.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lucy smiled. ”You’re not a fire-fighter by any chance, are you? Then we’d have all three emergency services covered.”

Jeff grinned back at her. ”I’m afraid not. I work with Ryan.”

“Ah, another police officer. That’s good to know.”

While Jeff and Lucy carried on chatting, Ryan caught Colin's eye and they shared a secret smile. Ryan suddenly felt very confident that they would make it through this. Hell, as long as they all stuck together, he could almost believe that they could take on the whole world and win.


	28. Chapter 28

Ryan scrolled down the page on the computer screen in front of him, occasionally glancing around the bustling bureau to check for feds. He was supposed to be writing up reports, but was in fact searching through the police database for any useful information about the people on his list of possible suspects. It was slow-going, trawling through hundreds of different documents, and so far he’d come up with very little. The confidence he’d felt only a few days ago had long since disappeared.

There wasn’t any detailed information about why the officers had left the service, whether it was willingly or unwillingly, and he still couldn’t connect any of them to active police officers within the city. No wonder the feds were so eager to pin the blame on Jeff; they probably had very little else to show for all of their investigative work.

He finished the page he was reading and huffed in frustration, running a hand through his already messy hair. An hour and a half of work for nothing, and he still had his reports to do before he could clock off. He eyed the stack of paperwork wearily, then glanced at his watch. 4.47pm. There was no way on earth that he was going to finish them in thirteen minutes. He let out a small snort at the irony of it being thirteen.

Greg looked up from his report questioningly, his pen pausing mid-sentence. ”What’s funny, man?”

Ryan looked across at him and leant back in his chair, rubbing his eyes, which were strained from staring at the screen for too long. ”My life, Greg,” he replied, without a hint of amusement in his voice. ”Fucking hilarious.” 

“Geez, you _have_ had a bad day,” Greg smirked, getting up to grab a coffee from the machine and placing it in front of Ryan. ”Don’t let Col hear you talking like that.”

Ryan dropped his hands from his face and picked up the steaming cup. ”He’s the only thing keeping me sane at the moment, believe me.”

Greg sat back down and watched thoughtfully as Ryan pull the unfinished reports towards him. ”I know what you need, Ryan.”

“Besides sleep?” Ryan asked distractedly, as he looked for a working pen.

Greg threw him one of his pens and grinned. ”A good night out. Especially since our last one was cut short prematurely.”

Ryan glanced up with a grimace. ”Yeah, that Halloween night was horrific for all the wrong reasons. How’s Jen doing now?”

“She’s all good,” Greg nodded. ”Going stir crazy, of course, but her mom’s been a godsend. I dread to think what Jen would have been like if she’d been alone every day.” He paused. ”She actually wanted me to ask if you and Col would come over for dinner once she’s up and about again.”

“Are you kidding?” Ryan grinned, his face lighting up. ”I can’t speak for Col but, if Jen’s cooking, I’m there.”

Greg snorted, pleased to see Ryan looking a little happier. ”I thought you would be.”

Ryan shrugged, beginning to write the first report. ”The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Luckily, Colin is great in the kitchen.”

“And every other room in the apartment I’ll bet,” Greg smirked, unable to resist.

Ryan’s mind immediately went back to the memory of Colin bent over the kitchen counter, and he had to force it away as he shifted in his seat slightly. ”If you’re fishing for a detailed account of our sex-life, Greg,” he replied, matter-of-factly, “you only need to ask. Last night, for instance, Colin sat on my—”

“Enough!” Greg interrupted loudly, holding his hands up and looking repulsed. ”I really don’t want to know.”

Ryan smiled wickedly, inwardly rejoicing in his victory. ”I was only going to say lap. What did you think I meant?”

Greg rolled his eyes. ”Getting back to the original topic, are you up for a night out with the guys?”

“Absolutely,” Ryan replied, going back to his work. ”I’m sure Chip and Jeff would appreciate it too.”

Greg looked pleased as shuffled his reports into a neat pile. ”Great! We’ll make it Saturday as usual.”

“What’s Saturday?” Chip asked in passing, his young partner in tow.

“Boy’s night out, Chip,” Greg grinned, spinning around in his chair. ”Spread the word.”

“Really?” Chip asked, his eyes getting a little of their old spark back. ”Thank God. I could do with a night out on the town. I’ll call Jeff and let him know.”

“Excellent,” Greg said, in a good imitation of Mr Burns which made Ryan snort. ”Right, that’s me done for the day.”

“All right for some,” Ryan scowled, placing a report to one side. ”One down, eighteen to go.”

Greg stood up to put his jacket on. ”You could just come in a little early tomorrow to finish them,” he suggested. ”Oh, look, your knight in shining armour has arrived to whisk you away from your mountain of paperwork.”

Ryan didn’t even get a chance to turn around before a familiar pair of hands settled comfortably on his shoulders. He looked up at Colin’s smiling face and felt the fog of his bad mood lift. 

“Are you ready for me to whisk you away on my noble steed?” Colin chuckled, leaning down for a kiss.

“More than ready,” Ryan sighed, deciding to follow Greg’s advice and finish up in the morning. He noticed that Brad was doing a good job of distracting Chip from finishing his work too.

“Boys night out this Saturday, Col,” Greg said cheerily. ”Are you in?”

“Naturally,” Colin replied with a grin. ”Assuming I don’t get called into work, that is. A lot of paramedics have been calling in sick with this flu that’s going around. We’re all going to have to start doing double-shifts at this rate.”

“I bet you make the worst patients, too,” Ryan snorted.

“No, that’s doctors,” Colin retorted. “And you’re hardly one to talk, mister.”

“That was different.”

“I thought it might be.”

“As thrilling as this is to watch,” Greg smirked, “I’ve got to get back to Jen.”

“Oh, how is she?” Colin asked, automatically starting a gentle massage of Ryan’s shoulders.

“She’s doing really well,” Greg smiled. “Should be up and about in no time. She wants you and Ryan to come to dinner soon as a thank you.”

Colin smiled warmly. ”Tell her no thanks necessary, but dinner sounds great.”

“I surely will. I’ll also tell her to get extra supplies in for Ryan.”

Ryan’s indignant reply was drowned out by raised voices across the room and they all looked towards the source. There was a haggard-looking man arguing quite forcibly with Karen over by her desk, and it had drawn the attention of most of the officers nearby, even drawing Drew out of his office.

“What the hell is going on out here?” Drew boomed, walking towards the pair. ”Can I help you, sir?”

The man looked at him with an expression of utmost hostility. ”No, you can’t. Not anymore.”

As he spoke, he unzipped his coat to reveal a mass of wires and C4 strapped securely to his chest. Ryan realized with horror that they didn’t need to look for the bomber anymore; the bomber had come to them.


	29. Chapter 29

“Holy Fuck,” Greg exclaimed as they all stared, transfixed, at the bomber’s chest.

Ryan broke out of his shocked state and stood up slowly, his heart racing in his chest. ”Get out of here, Col,” he whispered, keeping his eyes fixed on the crazed man before them.

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Colin replied firmly from beside him, keeping his voice equally quiet.

Ryan was about to argue when the matter was taken out of his hands.

“ _Nobody moves!_ ”

The bomber now had the full attention of every single person within the bureau, and there were a few panicked cries as people realized the seriousness of the situation. Ryan glanced at Greg, Brad, and Chip, seeing his own fear reflected in their eyes.

Drew, who had been momentarily lost for words, stepped towards the bomber with his hands up. ”Why don’t we talk about this, buddy?”

“No!” the bomber shouted, his face creased in fury. ”It’s too late for that, and if you take another step, I’ll make sure it’s your last.”

Drew froze and glanced at Karen, who was looking torn. ”Please, don’t do this,” she begged, her eyes filling with tears. ”Don’t hurt anyone else.”

The bomber turned on her with a tortured expression. ”They made me do it, honey. It’s them who are to blame, not me. I have to make them pay.”

“Please Dad…”

“Dad?” Drew repeated, looking shocked. “He’s your _father_?”

Karen nodded, unable to meet Drew’s eyes.

The realization of the traitor’s true identity hit Ryan like a punch in the gut. She’d been right under their noses all along, perfectly placed and never suspected. She didn’t need to be a police officer; as the chief’s secretary, she had access to everything and had probably even listened in on his confidential calls to the feds.

One look at Drew’s face told Ryan that he was dangerously close to losing his temper. ”It was you, all along.”

“I didn’t know, at first,” she replied desperately, her eyes pleading for a little understanding. ”Since I found out, I’ve been trying to stop him, I swear. I just wanted to give him a little more time.”

“More time to kill innocent people?” Drew spat, and she shrank back from him.

“Enough!” the bomber interrupted. ”No one could have stopped me, even the feds. So fucking predictable, all of you.” He looked back at his daughter sternly. ”I told you to get out of here. Now go.”

“Dad…” she whispered.

“ _Go!_ ”

Ryan watched her grab her bag and make her way to the exit, keeping her head down to avoid the expressions of shock and betrayal on everyone’s faces. As she passed by, Ryan wanted to shake her for what she’d done to Jeff, but he forced himself to remain rigidly still. He was thankful that Jeff wasn’t here; at least one of them was safe.

“Listen to your daughter,” Drew said calmly. ”You don’t want to do this.”

The bomber laughed bitterly. ”On the contrary, Chief, this is exactly what I want to do.”

“Why?” Ryan asked loudly, his expression fierce, and the bomber turned to look at him. ”Why the hell would you betray your fellow officers?”

“They betrayed me,” the bomber shouted angrily, the veins in his neck bulging. ”I gave the best years of my life to this job, and what did I get in return?” He paused and took several steps forward, the people nearest him drawing back in fear. ”I’ll tell you what. I got shafted! Stabbed in the back and kicked out for something I didn’t do. Now you’re gonna pay—all of you.”

Now he had moved closer, Ryan was able to get a better look at the bomber’s face and recognized him from his list of suspects. The years had certainly not been kind to him; his face was lined and drawn, his hair grey, and he had the look in his eyes of someone who had hit rock bottom and stayed there. 

“Okay,” Ryan said, lowering his voice, “you’re pissed. I get that. But what about all the innocent civilians in here? Can you let them go?”

“Yeah, man,” Greg piped up from his left. ”They didn’t do anything to you.”

“They’re just as guilty as the rest of you,” the bomber scoffed. ”Wrapped up in their own pointless little lives and not giving a damn about anybody else. No one leaves.”

“What about the paramedics?” Chip asked boldly, ignoring the outraged look from Brad and the frown from Colin. ”It’s their job to help others.”

“I’m not leaving you, Chip,” Brad hissed.

“I’m trying to get you and Colin to safety,” Chip replied under his breath.

“No one leaves!” the bomber repeated. 

“I read your profile,” Ryan said quietly, drawing the bomber’s attention back to him. ”You were one of the finest officer’s in the force, decorated for bravery on several occasions.” He paused and shook his head. ”How did it come to this?”

The bomber’s face screwed up in a mixture of anger and torment. ”I was tossed aside and left with nothing. _Nothing!_ All on the word of some punk who screamed police brutality. They didn’t care about my years of dedicated service; it’s all about pleasing the fucking media. One minute we’re heroes, and the next we’re scum.”

Ryan could certainly relate to that. It made him realize that he could be staring at a future version of himself if he hadn’t met Colin; a life empty except for the job, and an anger that had all but consumed him. He reached for Colin’s hand and curled his fingers around it tightly, feeling the pressure returned.

“What about your family?” he asked softly, noticing that Drew was slowly inching closer to the bomber’s position from behind.

The bomber looked at Ryan appraisingly for a moment, then smiled wryly. ”You’re trying to stall for time, officer. Hoping reinforcements will arrive to save the day? Well I’m sorry to disappoint you, but they aren’t gonna get here in time.” He took several steps backwards and held out his hand, in which the detonator was clasped. ”I just wanted you all to know who had beaten you, before I destroy the heart of the LAPD.”

“Wait!” Ryan called desperately, scrabbling to come up with some way to get through to him. ”Think about your daughter. She needs her father.”

The bomber looked almost at peace as he answered. ”She’s better off without me.”

There was a split-second when Ryan realized that he wasn’t bluffing, and he just had time to turn and shout, “Everybody down!” before he heard the most deafening roar. 

His hand was ripped from Colin’s and suddenly he was flying through the air by some incredible unseen force, unable to get his bearings as everything around him crumbled and screams filled the air. He hit something solid and felt a flash of blinding pain, then nothing.


	30. Chapter 30

Ryan opened his eyes and coughed as he tried to draw a breath, wincing as the movement aggravated his monumental headache. He raised his hand to gently check the back of his head for injury, feeling the stickiness of congealed blood under his fingertips. Looking around in the dusty gloom, he was momentarily confused by the mountain of debris that surrounded him before events came rushing back. 

“Col?” he croaked, the dust choking his desperate call. He coughed in an attempt to clear his throat before trying again, managing to call a little louder. “Col?”

His voice sounded odd in the enclosed space, echoing slightly, and he listened intently for any response over the sound of his own heart hammering loudly. The rubble around him was creaking and groaning as it settled, occasionally crashing as a part buckled under the strain, making it very difficult to hear anyone’s call. The cavity that he was in was only around six foot square; the small amount of ceiling held up by a cracked support column, which is what he'd been thrown against by the blast.

He shifted position and was thankful to find that, while his body felt like it had been through a tornado, nothing seemed to be broken. Deciding to carefully search the immediate vicinity for anyone alive, Ryan crawled forward, squinting as he looked around.

“Col?” he called again, a weight settling in his stomach. “Greg? Chip? Brad? Can anyone hear me?”

“Ryan?” a muffled voice called from behind a wall of rubble. “Is that you?”

“Brad!” Ryan felt a wave of relief before worry settled in once again. “Is Colin with you?”

There was a pause that seemed to last for an eternity before he heard Brad reply. “No.” Ryan closed his eyes, attempting to stem the despair that was threatening to overwhelm him. “Greg’s here though,” Brad continued. ”He’s out cold, and his arm looks broken. I’ve put it in a make-shift sling for now. Are you okay?”

Ryan ran a hand over his face. “I’m fine. I just need to find Colin.”

There was another pause, then, “I can’t find Chip either.”

Realizing that they were both in the same boat, Ryan attempted to sound reassuring. “We’ll find them, Brad. I’m gonna look around in here, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll do the same here.” 

Ryan crawled around the cramped space, looking for any signs of life in the dim light. When he got to the furthest corner his fingers found something cold and fleshy, and he looked down in shock at the hand sticking out from beneath a large section of concrete. Holding his breath, he felt for a pulse and found nothing.

“Ryan? You found anything?”

“Hold on.” 

Praying it wasn’t Chip or Colin but trying to prepare himself for the worst, Ryan started to clear some of the smaller bits of rubble away from around the body. He paused, hands shaking uncontrollably, before removing the piece covering the dead man’s face.

He grimaced and turned away from the blank, staring eyes of Chip’s new, young partner, feeling a mixture of relief and guilt wash over him. Joe had been a youngster, just starting out. It was a cruel twist of fate that left him lying there dead.

“Ryan?” Brad shouted again, a hint of desperation creeping in.

“Yeah,” Ryan called, taking his jacket off to cover the body. “I’ve found Chip’s partner; he’s dead.”

He heard Brad’s muffled curse as he resumed his meticulous search, his eyes watering slightly from the dust and grit. He got back to his starting point without finding anything else, and didn’t know whether to be relieved or even more worried.

“I can’t see anyone else,” he called, slumping back against the wall of debris.

He heard a string of muffled curses from the other side and managed a small smile, not needing to hear Brad’s shout of explanation.

“Greg’s awake.”

“You okay, buddy?” Ryan called, another coughing fit cutting him off prematurely.

“Oh I’m just fine and dandy, man,” Greg called back, and Ryan was pleased to hear that his trademark sarcasm was still in full working order. “Being blown up does wonders for your day. Shit, my cell phone’s fried.” 

Ryan sat up straight at Greg’s words and fumbled around for his own, cursing himself for not thinking of it sooner. Miraculously it was relatively unscathed, protected by his jacket, and he held it up, praying for a signal. There was a few seconds of nothing before a single bar lit up on the display, and he quickly pressed Colin’s number on speed dial.

“Come on,” he pleaded as it tried to connect.

He let out the breath he’d been holding as it finally went through, and put his phone down to listen intently for the answering ring. At first there was nothing, but then he heard the faintest noise coming from the mass of debris off to one side and he scrabbled towards it quickly.

“Ryan?” Brad called worriedly. “Are you okay?”

“ Yeah,” Ryan replied distractedly, removing bits of rubble whilst trying to pinpoint the phone’s location before it went to messages. “I rang Col’s phone, I think he’s nearby,” he added as the ringing stopped.

After moving a large pile of debris, Ryan caught sight of a patch of familiar uniform and felt his breath hitch before slowly uncovering more. He finally uncovered Colin’s face, and his hand clutching the piece of rubble froze in mid-air. Colin’s face was pale and lifeless, covered in cuts and scratches, and his eyes were closed.

Ryan forced himself to reach out and touch him, dreading feeling the cold, stiff grip of death, but, despite appearances, Colin’s face was warm. Ryan choked back a sob as he felt a weak pulse beneath his questing fingers.

“I’ve found him,” he shouted to the others, tears of relief pricking his eyes. “He’s alive.”

He heard shouts of joy and relief at the news as he tried to uncover the rest of Colin’s body, but discovered that there was a massive piece of masonry covering part of his chest and legs.

“What’s his condition?” Brad called.

Ryan tried with all his might to free Colin, but it was no use. “He doesn’t look good, and his legs are trapped.”

There was a pause, and Ryan tried to get his breath back before Brad replied, “Can you get any response from him?”

Ryan leaned forward and stroked Colin’s face tenderly. “Col? Can you hear me?” When there was no response, he pressed a desperate kiss to Colin’s lips and willed him to respond. “Come on, baby.” After a few moments of nothing, he straightened up to call back to Brad desperately. ”He's not waking up.”

“You have to keep trying, Ryan.”

Ryan nodded and bent down again, his finger's lightly tracing Colin's jaw line. “Col, listen to my voice. You have to wake up now.” He moved his head so that they were cheek to cheek, his hand cradling Colin’s face, and closed his eyes. “Please...”


	31. Chapter 31

As Ryan began to give in to his despair, he heard the faintest of noises in his ear. Eyes wide, he pulled back and studied Colin's pale face closely. “Col?” After a few more seconds of nothing, he'd just about convinced himself that he'd imagined it, but then he saw Colin's eyelids flutter ever so slightly and his heart soared. “That's it, open your eyes.”

When Ryan finally caught sight of the beautiful hazel eyes he loved so much, he felt a huge weight lift and silently thanked whoever was watching over them.

“Ry?” Colin croaked, his breathing raspy.

Ryan brushed some of the dirt away from Colin's face gently, and tried to smile despite his still crippling feeling of worry. “I'm right here.”

“Ryan?” Brad called urgently from beyond the wall of rubble. “What's happening?”

Ryan forced his gaze away from Colin momentarily to shout back. “He's awake.” He heard a muffled, “Thank god,” in reply as he immediately turned back to Colin, his face creased with concern.

“Was that Brad?” Colin asked quietly, unable to hide a wince.

“Yeah. He and Greg are trapped behind a wall of debris, but they're okay.” Ryan hesitated slightly, and Colin called him on it immediately.

“Chip?” 

Ryan shook his head. “We haven't found him yet.” Colin's brow creased with worry, and Ryan rushed to reassure him. “But I'm sure he's okay. Let's just worry about you for the moment. Tell me where it hurts.”

Colin smiled weakly, his breath coming in short gasps. “Are you after my job again?”

Ryan made a face. “No, I hate sick people.”

Colin's snort of amusement turned into a cough that left him gasping for breath, and Ryan was alarmed to see a trail of blood trickling from the side of his mouth. He wiped it away with his thumb and held it up to show Colin.

“Okay, that's not good,” Colin wheezed.

All trace of amusement had vanished from Ryan's face, now deadly serious. “Tell me.”

Colin took a rattling breath, now only managing a few words at a time. “Internal bleeding... possible organ damage... fractures, including several ribs... and I'm pretty sure... I have a punctured lung.” He paused for a moment. “That's the bad news.”

“Fuck,” Ryan cursed, his heart filled with a renewed fear. “Is there any good news?”

“Well, you don't have to worry... about that mountain of... paperwork anymore.”

Ryan shook his head at the feeble attempt to lighten the mood. “We've got to get you out of here.”

“I wasn't planning on building... a summer home.”

“This is serious, Col.”

The slight smile dropped from Colin's face. “I know. I cover fear... and worry with humor. Call it a defense mechanism.”

Ryan raised a hand to caress his cheek, before leaning forward to kiss him lightly. “I'm gonna try to call for help. I'll be right back.” 

At Colin's nod, he crawled back to where his phone lay and held it up. The signal was still teetering on one bar but the battery was almost dead, which meant that there was probably only enough power for one call. He quickly dialled 911 and held it to his ear. The answering voice was possibly the sweetest sound he'd ever heard in his life.

“Yes, my name is Ryan Stiles. I'm one of the police officers trapped in the remains of the Central Bureau. There are at least three other survivors down here, and one is severely injured. We need medical help as soon as possible.” He paused as he listened to the operator's response. “Okay, please tell them to hurry.” 

“Ryan?” Brad called as he hung up. “How bad is it?”

“It's bad,” Ryan shouted back, attempting to keep his voice steady. “He's bleeding internally, and he thinks he has a punctured lung.”

“Fuck.” There was a pause and muffled conversation, during which he assumed Brad was filling Greg in on the situation, then Ryan heard renewed movement from the other side and the scrape and rumble of rubble being shifted. “I'm gonna try to get through to you. In the meantime, just do what he tells you to. Okay?” 

“Okay.”

Ryan put the phone back in his jacket and crawled back to where Colin lay. He panicked for a moment when he saw that Colin's eyes were closed, but Colin opened them as soon as he touched his arm. 

“What did they... say?”

“There are already emergency teams in place, working to remove debris and reach survivors, but the whole building is pretty much trashed so it may take a while for help to arrive.”

“That's what I was… afraid of.”

Ryan grabbed Colin's hand and squeezed it, trying to stave off his despair and be strong. “Brad's trying to reach us,” he said reassuringly. “Tell me what I can do.”

Colin looked back at him steadily. “You remember the guy... Greg shot... in the alleyway?”

“Yeah. He had a punctured lung too, right?” Ryan's eyes widened as he realized what Colin was leading up to. “You can't be serious.” 

“Listen to me Ry... with every breath I take... air is building up... in my chest cavity. You have... to release the pressure.”

“We should wait for Brad...” Ryan began, but Colin cut him off.

“There's no time.”

Ryan's face was a picture of anguish and uncertainty. “But I don't have any equipment, not to mention the fact that I'm not trained for this.”

Colin squeezed his hand weakly. “I'll tell you what… to do, Ry. Just like I did... in the restaurant... remember? You'll be fine.”

Ryan still looked far from convinced, but nodded.

“Okay,” Colin continued. “Do you have... a pen on you?”

Ryan immediately started patting and searching his pockets, producing a pen triumphantly a few moments later. “I never thought I'd thank god for having to do so much paperwork.”

Colin managed a small smile. “Take out everything... inside it... so you're left with... the plastic case.” Ryan quickly complied, then looked back at Colin for approval. 

“Good,” Colin rasped, his strength fading by the second. “Now you need... something... sharp... to make... the incision.”

Ryan looked around the small, cramped space for something— _anything_ —that might do the job. He moved a few chunks of rubble and found a jagged piece of metal with a razor-sharp edge. “Okay, I've found something,” he called, turning and crawling quickly back to Colin's side. 

Colin didn't answer, lying limply with his eyes closed. “Col?” Ryan gently shook him, but there was no response. “Damn it, Col, don't do this to me,” he cried in a mixture of anger and despair, bending forward to listen to his chest.

“ _Brad!_ ” he shouted, straightening up and scrabbling over to the wall which separated them.

“What's happened?”

“He's lost consciousness again, and he needs a chest tube inserted. Please tell me you're nearly through.”

There was a muffled curse before he heard Brad's reply. “Sorry, Ryan. I won't get there in time. You're going to have to do this yourself.”

“Fuck,” Ryan cursed, his panic rising. “How the hell am I gonna do that?”

Brad attempted to sound reassuring. “I'll talk you through it, buddy. Do you have anything that would make a makeshift tube?”

“Yeah, I've got a plastic pen casing and a sharp piece of metal ready.”

“Okay, that's good Ryan. Go back to Colin and remove his shirt and jacket.”

Ryan crawled back to Colin’s unmoving form and began to remove his uniform, trying to keep his emotions under control.

“Okay,” he shouted a few moments later, his first task accomplished. “Now what?”

“Check his pulse for me.”

Ryan pressed two fingers to Colin's neck and held his breath. After adjusting his position slightly, he felt a faint throbbing.

“It's faint, but steady,” Ryan replied loudly, feeling relieved by the momentary reprieve.

“Okay. Lift his arm above his head carefully, to stretch the ribcage.”

Ryan complied, feeling more and more uncertain by the second. “Done.”

“Now comes the difficult bit, so we'll just take it nice and slow. You ready?”

“No, but I'll do it anyway.”

“You'll be fine,” Brad called, but his attempt at reassurance did little to ease Ryan’s anxiety. “Using your finger, follow a line down his side from his armpit until you're level with the nipple between the fourth and fifth ribs.”

Ryan followed his instructions, his face screwed up in a mixture of concentration and anxiety. “Okay,” he called back uncertainly.

“Using the piece of metal, make a small, firm incision where your finger is resting between the ribs.”

“Won't it hurt him a lot, though?” Ryan asked, glancing worriedly at Colin's pale face.

“He's unconscious, Ryan, he won't feel it. Trust me.”

Ryan raised the jagged piece of metal in a shaking hand and paused, hovering over Colin's skin and swallowing loudly.

“Ryan? You okay?”

Ryan dropped his hand in defeat. “I can't do this, Brad. What if I do it wrong?”

Brad’s stern reply was immediate. “Ryan, you have to listen to me. If you don't do this now, Colin's other lung will collapse.”

“I can't!”

“ _He’ll die, Ryan_!” Brad yelled. “You're the only one who can save him now. You _have_ to.”


	32. Chapter 32

Ryan looked down at Colin's lifeless face as Brad's words rang in his ears, and he was filled with a savage determination. He was going to fight tooth and nail to save the man he loved, and he wasn't going to give up, no matter what. He raised the piece of metal again, his expression one of utmost concentration, and carefully made an incision where his finger had rested, trying not to panic at the sight of bright red blood seeping from the cut.

“Okay,” he shouted. “I've made a small incision.”

“Great,” Brad replied, sounding more than a little relieved. “Cut through the subcutaneous tissues and intercostal muscles until you reach the chest cavity.”

Ryan followed his instructions to the letter, small beads of sweat appearing on his forehead as he worked. He glanced at Colin's face to check for any signs of discomfort, but saw none. In a way, he was glad that Colin wasn't conscious for this part; he hated the thought of causing him pain.

After a few minutes of tentative cutting, there was a sudden lack of resistance against Ryan's make-shift scalpel and he straightened up. “I think that's done!”

“Good,” Brad called back, his voice sounding a little closer than before. “Can you check his pulse and breathing for me?”

Ryan pressed two fingers to Colin's neck whilst watching his chest rise and fall laboriously. “His pulse is still weak, but steady, and his breathing is slow.” 

“We should be able to fix that in a few minutes,” Brad reassured him. “Now, push you finger into the hole to widen it a little. You should hear the trapped air escaping when you pull out.”

Ryan heard Greg's distinctive voice as he wiped an arm across his face and leant forward again. “You're doing great, man.”

Ryan did as he was told with a grimace, feeling a whole new level of respect for the work of paramedics. When he withdrew his finger, he was relieved to hear the distinctive sound of air being released.

“Okay,” he shouted, feeling slightly elated at his success. 

“Great, we're almost done. Now carefully insert the pen casing about halfway into the hole. It should ease the pressure and allow the lung to re-inflate.”

As Ryan complied, he noticed that Colin had gone unnaturally still and he was stricken by panic as he pressed an ear to Colin's chest. “Brad!” he shouted, choking back a sob. “He's stopped breathing.”

“Damn it,” Brad cursed. “His other lung must have collapsed while you were working. Okay, don't panic. Does he still have a pulse?”

Ryan checked quickly, his own heart thumping painfully. “Yes, but it's very faint.”

“You'll have to give him mouth to mouth to re-inflate his lungs. Do you know what to do?”

“Yeah,” Ryan replied, blinking back tears to do as he was told. Colin's instructions from a few months ago echoed in his ears as he tilted his head back, pinched his nose, and sealed his mouth over Colin's. The lips he'd kissed so many times, which would normally attack his own so enthusiastically, stayed limp and unresponsive as he breathed life back into Colin's body.  
Despite being a police officer, Ryan had always thought of Colin as the hero—saving so many lives, including his own. He'd never thought he would have to repay the favor. 

“Come on, Col,” he pleaded, as he paused to check him. “You have to fight.”

There was still nothing so he bent over to repeat the procedure, praying with every fiber of his being. What if his initial hesitation had cost Colin his life? How would he ever be able to live with himself? 

“What's happening?” Brad called, and Ryan could tell he was trying to hide his fear.

“Still nothing,” Ryan shouted desperately. “I'm losing him, Brad.”

“Don't say that,” Brad replied sternly, his voice louder and clearer than before. “I'm hopefully gonna be through in a couple of minutes. Just keep trying.”

Ryan tried to hold back his tears as he once again breathed air into Colin's lungs several times, feeling a sudden anger bubble up inside of him. “Damn it, Col, don't you dare do this to me. I need you. Come on... fight!”

As he tried a fourth time, Colin suddenly coughed and drew in a deep, shuddering breath. Ryan's heart rose from the depths of despair to the height of joy in a single moment. “That's it,” he said encouragingly, resting his forehead against Colin's and closing his eyes in relief. “Just breathe.”

 

A few minutes later, Ryan became aware of someone else beside him and opened his eyes to see Brad checking Colin over carefully. Once he'd thoroughly assessed Colin's injuries, Brad laid a hand on Ryan's back. “Looks like we'll make a paramedic out of you yet. Great job.”

Ryan straightened up, feeling utterly drained. “Is he gonna be alright?” Brad opened his mouth to reply, but Ryan cut him off. “Please, no bullshit. I need you to be completely honest with me.”

Brad studied him for a moment, his expression deadly serious. “Okay,” he began softly. “Although the immediate danger has passed and he's holding his own at the moment, he's not out of the woods yet. My main concern is the internal bleeding. We have no way of knowing how bad that is, and what damage has been done.” His gaze dropped to his unconscious partner as he continued. “Let's just say that the sooner he gets to a hospital, the better.”

Ryan nodded solemnly and took Colin's hand, not liking how cold it felt. “I'm glad you're here, Brad,” he said softly, grabbing Colin's jacket and laying it over his chest to keep him warm. He looked over to the wall of rubble that had separated them up until that point. “Where's Greg?”

“I'm still stuck over here, man,” an irritated voice called.

“He couldn't make it through the small opening with his broken arm,” Brad explained, continuing to monitor Colin's vitals. “It was a squeeze for me, I can tell you.”

“How's Col doing?” Greg asked anxiously.

“He's stable for the moment,” Brad called back. “Thanks to Ryan.”

Ryan shook his head, his eyes fixed on Colin's face. “He almost died because of me, Brad. I should have acted sooner.”

“Hey, stop that,” Brad said softly, laying a hand on Ryan's arm and forcing him to meet his gaze. ”You were never trained for this, but you saved him, Ryan. Believe me, I've seen plenty of paramedics freeze in a life or death situation before.” He squeezed Ryan's arm. “You did great.”

“Yes, you did,” a voice croaked, and Ryan turned his head so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.

“Col?” Ryan whispered, meeting the warm hazel eyes, and dared to smile as he caressed his face gently.

“Hi,” Colin wheezed, smiling slightly. “Nice of you to join us, Brad,” he added.

Brad shrugged. “You know me, I can't resist a good party. So how are you doing?”

“I've been better.”

“Come on, Col,” Brad said sternly, reaching to check his pulse again. “You know I need details.” 

Colin sighed, glancing worriedly at Ryan before answering roughly. “Fine. My head's throbbing… my chest hurts like hell… and I can't feel my legs. Happy?”

“You can't feel your legs?” Ryan asked, looking worriedly from Colin's face to Brad's. He caught Brad's expression of deep concern before he covered it. “Fuck. That's really bad, isn't it?” 

“Not necessarily,” Brad replied evasively.

“Damn it, Brad. I said no bullshit.”

“It could be,” Brad conceded.

“I'm right here, you know,” Colin pointed out weakly and Ryan looked back at him, his face a picture of anxiety.

“What can we do? I mean, should we try to move this piece of masonry now there's two of us?”

“No,” Colin replied, wincing slightly.

“Moving it could cause his condition to deteriorate,” Brad explained calmly. “We have to wait until we have emergency medical back-up.”

“Will someone fill in the outcast, please?” Greg called, sounding exasperated.

Brad turned to shout in his direction. “Col's awake, but he's still trapped and we can't free him until medical help arrives, which could be some time.”

“Fuck, man.” 

Ryan looked back at Colin and glanced at his watch. “We've been stuck here for over two hours. How much longer are they gonna be?”

“They'll get here,” Colin said, although his eyelids were drooping alarmingly.

“Stay awake, buddy,” Brad said loudly. “You know the drill. Keep talking to us.”

“Sorry,” Colin croaked. “It's been a long day.”

Ryan stroked his cheek tenderly. “You've already scared the hell out of me twice today, Col. Please don't do it again.”

“Sorry,” Colin repeated, raising a shaky hand to cover Ryan's as they stared into each other's eyes and communicated silently.

“Keep talking, Col,” Brad reminded him. “Out loud,” he added, his lips twitching upwards in amusement. 

“You see what I have to put up with,” Colin said quietly to Ryan with a smirk.

“I heard that.”

Ryan snorted, actually feeling a little better; for a moment, at least. “So, talk to me.”

“About?” Colin asked weakly.

Ryan thought for a moment. “How about the day we met?”

Colin sighed, wincing as it hurt his chest. “That was a bad day.” Ryan's brow instantly furrowed. Colin smiled and squeezed his hand gently before continuing, his voice croaky. “I lost two patients over the course of my shift; one was only six years old.” He looked up into the emerald eyes he adored. “Meeting you was the only thing that made that day bearable.”


	33. Chapter 33

As the minutes and hours ticked away, Ryan was forced to watch the man he loved fade away little by little before his eyes. He tried to stay positive for Colin's sake, and kept him talking about anything and everything, but it scared him to hear just how weak Colin's voice was getting. There was obviously more internal bleeding than they had thought, slowly poisoning his body from within, and it was pulling Colin further and further away. 

Ryan could see his desperate concern reflected in Brad's eyes too, not only for his partner but for Chip as well. Ryan couldn't imagine how he was feeling, not knowing whether Chip was even still alive. As much as it hurt to see Colin like this, he would much rather be here with him than not know. Ignorance was certainly not bliss in a situation like this. Greg, who was still isolated by the debris, was also very subdued, having realized just how bad the situation was and feeling just as powerless as the others.

Ryan looked down into Colin's pain-filled eyes and kept a tight hold of his hand. He was running out of things to talk about, and Colin was now slipping in and out of consciousness. The thought of his life ending in this cold, dark chamber sent a chill down Ryan's spine, but they hadn't heard any sign of help and hope was waning fast.

“There's got to be something we can do,” Ryan said desperately to Brad, trying to find something to cling onto in his despair.

Brad shook his head from where he sat slumped against the rubble, his paramedic skills useless without the proper equipment. “I wish there was, man, but it's out of our hands now. All we can do is pray, for both of the men we love.”

“Ry,” Colin rasped weakly.

Ryan turned back to him; kissing his hand tenderly. “I'm right here, Col.”

Colin struggled to take a breath. “If I don't make it out of here—”

“Don't say that!”

He felt Colin's hand squeeze his own ever so slightly, and a sad smile graced Colin's pale face. “Let me finish... please.” Ryan nodded tearfully, and Colin continued. “I want you to know... that these last few months... have been the most wonderful... of my life. You've made me complete... and I wouldn't change anything. I've never been so happy... to have coffee thrown over me.”

Ryan smiled through his tears and bent down to kiss Colin gently, trying not to give in to his overwhelming despair. “Okay, you've said your piece, now I'll say mine,” he began firmly, looking into Colin's dull eyes steadily. “You're going to make it through this, and we're going to have a lot of long and happy years together.” He cradled Colin's head, and his voice rang with determination. “Fight for that future with me, Col, and don't let go. Because I refuse to live without you.”

A tear rolled down Colin's cheek as he nodded slightly, and Ryan kissed him again. “I love you, Ry,” he croaked.

“I love you more,” Ryan murmured against his cheek, screwing his eyes up and allowing his pain and fear to show through momentarily.

A few minutes later Colin's eyes closed again, and no amount of shouting, pleading, or gentle shaking would rouse him. Brad knew that it was the beginning of the end, and his own heart was filled with unbearable sorrow as he checked Colin's sluggish pulse. He watched Ryan's previous strength and determination crumble away in only moments, leaving him utterly broken upon the floor. 

 

Brad crawled over to Ryan's trembling form and gently placed a hand on his shoulder supportively, but Ryan shook him off, his despair transforming into an uncontrollable anger.

“No. _No!_ This isn't happening! I'm not gonna let it.” He moved over to the nearest wall of debris and start pummeling it with his fists. “Help! We need help in here! Can anyone hear me?”

He continued pounding and shouting for several minutes, the rubble cutting into his flesh so that it was steadily painted red with his blood. Ryan didn't seem to notice or care as he took out all of his emotions on the debris which had entombed them. “Somebody help me... please! _Anybody!_ ”

“Ryan…” Brad began, but was shouted down.

“We need medical help now! _Please!_ ”

Brad moved over to his position and tried to grasp his hands, but Ryan pushed him away. “Get off me, Brad. I have to keep trying.”

“You're just hurting yourself, Ryan. That's not gonna...”

“Shh!” Ryan interrupted, grasping Brad's arm and listening intently. “Did you hear that?”

There was complete silence as they both stood, straining to hear the slightest sound from beyond the rubble. A few seconds later they heard a faint voice calling out.

“Hello? Is someone trapped back here?”

“Yes!” Ryan shouted back immediately, a spark of hope igniting within him. “There are four of us, one badly injured. He needs to get to a hospital fast.”

“Understood,” the muffled voice called back. “We'll try to get through to you as fast as we possibly can. Stand back.”

After a few tense minutes of silence they heard the unmistakable sound of debris being shifted on the other side and Ryan grabbed Brad in a fierce hug, overjoyed at finally having some hope, however small. Brad patted his back bracingly, praying that it wouldn't take them too long to get through. He knew that Colin didn't have much time.

As Brad shouted the news to Greg, Ryan made his way back to Colin's unmoving form and caressed his cheek gently. “Hold on a little longer, Col. Help's on the way.”

 

It seemed to take an age for the rescue team to break through the wall of rubble but, finally, a large piece of concrete moved and a flashlight shone into the cramped space.

“What's the situation in here?” a man asked in a no-nonsense voice as he clambered through to them. He was followed by several others.

“We've got a man pinned by rubble,” Brad said urgently, from beside Colin and Ryan. “He has internal bleeding, fractured ribs, which have caused a pneumothorax, and possible spinal injuries. He needs to get to a hospital right away.”

“Brad?” the man asked in surprise, shining the torch in Brad's direction. “I didn't think that I'd find you in here.”

Brad recognized the man as a fellow paramedic as he moved closer. “Not just me, Dave,” Brad replied sadly, looking down. “Colin, too.” 

“Shit,” Dave muttered, squatting to check Colin over quickly before squaring up and shouting over his shoulder. “Okay, guys, we need to move this piece of concrete and get a stretcher in here now! Steve, tell command that we're gonna need an emergency air-lift immediately.”

Steve, a fairly new paramedic, was staring at Colin with a shocked expression, and Dave grabbed his arm forcefully. “Move! He's one of our own.”

As Steve scrambled to do what he was told, Brad and Dave started trying to stabilize Colin's vitals with the proper medical equipment. Ryan sat quietly beside them as they worked, keeping a tight hold on Colin's hand and his gaze fixed on Colin's deathly pale face, almost as if he was trying to infuse Colin with some of his own strength. “Keep fighting, Col. I'm not letting you go.” 

Ryan kept talking to Colin while the paramedics and rescue teams managed to free his legs and strap him to a stretcher, willing him to hold on for just a little longer. He reluctantly had to release his hold on Colin's hand as they maneuvered the stretcher out, but followed right behind, impatiently dismissing offers of medical attention for his hands and head. Both Brad and Greg went with him. The latter had just been freed from his confinement, and his arm was now in a proper sling until it could be put in plaster.

 

The absolute devastation that met Ryan's eyes when they emerged into the cold, night air brought home to him the magnitude of the rescue operation. Practically the entire building had been destroyed by the explosion. It was a miracle that _anyone_ had survived. 

A medical helicopter was waiting for them a little way off and they carried the stretcher carefully towards it, mindful of aggravating Colin's injuries. He was stable at the moment, but would need emergency surgery the moment he arrived at UCLA. His condition was still critical. As they loaded the stretcher into the chopper, there was a loud shout from behind them.

“Hey, Ryan! Greg!” A filthy, sweaty Jeff was hurrying towards them, looking both relieved and worried. “I came down here to help as soon as I heard what happened. Are you guys okay?” His eyes flicked to Colin, who was being strapped in securely, and widened slightly. “Fuck. Is he...?”

“We don't know yet,” Brad shouted, as the helicopter loudly powered up. 

When Ryan clambered aboard, one of the crew looked like he was going to refuse the extra passenger but one look at Ryan's face silenced him on the matter.

Brad turned away from Colin to look anxiously at Jeff. “Have you seen Chip?”

Jeff nodded grimly, wiping his arm across his forehead. “Yeah, they brought him out a little while ago and loaded him straight into an ambulance. He's got pretty bad head injuries, but he's alive.”

Brad dropped his head in relief, and Ryan reached out to squeeze his shoulder. ”I'll see you guys at the hospital, okay?”

Everyone shouted their support and stepped back as the helicopter lifted off smoothly and headed off into the night sky, carrying with it all of their hopes and prayers.


	34. Chapter 34

There was a medical team waiting next to the helipad when they landed on the hospital roof, the group immediately running in to unload the stretcher as soon as it touched down. The paramedics had battled to keep Colin stable during the short flight, his vitals falling to dangerous levels, but he was still hanging on to life… just. Ryan had refused point blank to let go of his hand, firmly believing that it was making a difference, but was forced to when the medics rushed the gurney into the elevator. He kept his eyes fixed on Colin as the doors closed, praying that it wouldn’t be the last time that he’d see him alive.

After being checked over and bandaged by a pretty if somewhat patronizing nurse, Ryan was told to go the waiting area where any updates would be delivered. He had to navigate through a maze of identical, sterile corridors before he eventually reached it.

The large room was filled with anxious relatives of those caught in the blast, awaiting news on the fate of their loved ones. Ryan walked amongst them, catching snatches of worried conversations, and made his way to the few remaining empty chairs at the back. 

“Ryan!”

He turned at the sound of his name, and saw Jen making her way towards him, her face tired and drawn.

“Jen? You should be at home in bed. The baby…”

She waved his concern away impatiently and gave him a quick hug. ”I couldn’t stay there, not knowing. Is he…?” 

Ryan was quick to reassure her. ”Greg’s fine. Just a broken arm and a few bumps and scratches.”

She sank into a nearby chair in relief, holding a shaking hand to her bowed head. ”Thank god. I saw the pictures on the news, but they wouldn’t let me anywhere near the scene. They just told me that all casualties were being brought here.” She looked up as Ryan sat down beside her and studied his face for a moment. ”Okay, big guy, what aren’t you telling me here?” Her eyes widened slightly when he didn’t answer straight away. ”It’s Chip, isn’t it?”

Ryan met her gaze steadily. ”He’s injured, yes, but I don’t know how badly yet.” She grimaced, but sensed that there was more so waited silently for him to continue. She didn’t have to wait long. 

“Brad and Colin were in there with us when the bomber detonated.”

Jen raised a hand to her mouth in shock. ”Oh my God. Are they okay?”

“Brad is. He was trapped with Greg and looked after him.” Ryan paused and swallowed, making Jen fear the worst. She laid a hand on his arm and squeezed it, her voice little above a whisper.

“Colin?”

Ryan swallowed again and took a moment, not trusting himself to speak right away. When he answered, his voice was broken. ”He’s critical.”

“Oh no,” she gasped, pulling Ryan into her arms and blinking back tears. “I’m so sorry.”

Ryan sank into the embrace and closed his eyes, the memory of Colin’s lifeless face swimming to the surface. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, silently comforting each other, but Ryan sensed a sudden alertness in her posture, and lifted his head questioningly.

Greg had just entered the waiting area, his arm now in plaster and supported by a sling around his shoulder. Just behind him were Jeff and Brad, and the three of them scanned the room for familiar faces. Jen raised her hand and got to her feet unsteadily, forcing Ryan to grab hold of her as she wobbled alarmingly. Her eyes were locked upon the face of her husband as he drew nearer, drinking in the sight of him and lingering a moment on his cast. Ryan watched them wordlessly embrace each other and felt a lump come to his throat. They were two of the lucky ones here.

“Any news?” Jeff asked anxiously, and Ryan shook his head.

“It’ll be a while yet,” Brad sighed, as he pulled up one of the few remaining free chairs. ”Apparently Chip’s in surgery too, but they wouldn’t give me any details.” He let out a mirthless laugh. ”So much for professional courtesy, huh?”

“They’re gonna be okay,” Jeff said quietly, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as much as the others. “Both of them.”

“Jen, this is Brad,” Greg said, gesturing to him as they both sat down.

Jen nodded and held out a hand, trying to smile. ”Colin’s partner, right? I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances.”

Brad returned the smile and grasped her hand warmly. “Me too.”

“I hear that you’ve taken the heart of our Chip, too. It looks like all of my boys are settling down.” She glanced over at Jeff and smiled knowingly.

Ryan, who had remained silent up until that point, cleared his throat and looked at Greg. ”You two should go home. You both need to rest.”

Jen’s gaze met Greg’s briefly, and then she put an arm around Ryan’s shoulders in a sideways hug. ”Not a chance. We’re staying.”

 

It was now a waiting game for all those who had congregated at the hospital. Over the following few hours, doctors came and went, bringing news to a select few of the desperately worried relatives. Sometimes there would be shouts of joy and relief, lifting the mood of the entire room, but other times there would only be the achingly sorrowful cry of grief. When bad news came, everyone else huddled together a little closer.

In the early hours of the morning, Ryan, who hadn’t been able to sleep a wink, saw Agents Reeves and Jackson making their way towards him. They both looked exhausted and Ryan felt a brief stab of savage pleasure at their discomfort. Agent Reeves, the more assertive of the two, was the first to speak.

“It’s good to see you escaped relatively unscathed, Officer Stiles. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for many of your colleagues.”

Ryan gritted his teeth and glanced at the sleeping form of Jeff before answering. ”Maybe if you had listened to me instead of chasing the wrong man, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Now’s not the time for recriminations,” Reeves said patiently. ”We’ve already picked up Miss Evans for her part in all of this and she’s freely confessed her guilt. Her father can do no further harm to the people in this city. All that’s left to do now is take statements from all those who survived, including yourselves.”

“I don’t understand how _anyone_ survived,” Greg piped up from beside Ryan, lifting his head from where it was resting on top of Jen’s. ”That amount of C4 should have killed everyone in that building.”

Agent Reeves’ gaze flicked from Ryan’s face to Greg’s and back again. ”From what we’ve been told so far, it looks like that’s down to your chief. He threw himself onto the bomber as he detonated, and took the full force of the blast.”

Ryan let out a deep breath and shook his head. ”That’s so typical of Drew; a hero right up to the last. How many confirmed dead so far?”

“Twenty nine,” Jackson’s deep voice rumbled from beside Reeves. ”Eighteen officers and eleven civilians. We expect more in the coming hours, though.”

_Not Colin or Chip_ , Ryan chanted in his head. Almost as if someone up there heard him, a doctor in scrubs entered the waiting room and called, “Anyone here for Colin Mochrie?”

Ryan nudged Brad awake and stood up shakily. ”Over here.”

“We’ll be back to take your statements later,” Agent Reeves said, and both he and Jackson nodded courteously to the doctor as they passed him on their way out. Greg woke the others up and got to his feet, too.

“Are you family?” the doctor asked, consulting his chart briefly.

“Yes,” Ryan replied without hesitation. It was true; they were the only family Colin had now. ”Please… is he okay?”

“I’m Doctor Roberts,” the man said, his manner calm and reassuring. He looked a little younger than Greg and Ryan, but there was a quality about him which inspired confidence. His blue eyes projected sympathy and warmth as he gestured to the chairs they’d risen from. ”Let’s sit down for a moment.”

Ryan immediately feared the worst, his legs threatening to buckle. ”Oh God, he’s not—”

Doctor Roberts held out a hand to steady him. ”It’s all right, he’s still with us. There’s just a lot to go through.”

“Okay,” Ryan nodded, his heart still gripped with fear as he slumped back down into his seat. The others lent forward to listen closely as the doctor sat down.

“As you’re aware, Mr. Mochrie was severely injured as a result of the explosion. We managed to stop the internal bleeding, but he needed several transfusions to replace the blood lost and we had to remove part of his spleen. We’ve also put in a proper chest tube to deal with the added complication of his punctured lung.” He paused for a moment and Ryan held his breath, waiting for the final blow. ”What we’re very concerned about at this point is his legs. There’s substantial swelling around the lower half of his spinal cord, and we can’t be sure of how much nerve damage there is until that subsides.”

“Fuck,” Brad muttered, and Ryan turned to him fearfully.

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

Brad nodded grimly, and the doctor clarified the situation for the few who were still looking confused. ”If the damage is very severe, he may not walk again.”


	35. Chapter 35

“Can I see him?” Ryan asked quietly, breaking the tense silence that had descended.

The doctor nodded and got to his feet. ”Of course. I’ll take you up to ICU. I should warn you that, while he’s stable at the moment, he’s still very weak and will remain unconscious for some time yet.”

“I understand,” Ryan nodded. ”I just need to be with him.”

“Okay. Only two of you will be allowed into his room at any one time, but the rest of you can come up to a special waiting area on that floor if you wish.”

“Do you have any news about Chip Esten?” Brad asked anxiously, as everyone got ready to move.

Doctor Roberts glanced through his charts quickly, and then shook his head. ”There’s nothing here, but I can find out for you. Is he family, too?”

“He’s my partner,” Jeff and Brad both said together. Brad glanced at Jeff and smiled slightly before looking back to the confused face of the doctor. ”Different sorts,” he explained quickly. ”We’re not a threesome or anything.”

Greg let out a snort of amusement, which broke the tension a little. The doctor stood looking a little nonplussed, and shook his head. ”Okay, follow me.”

They made their way through the crowded room towards the exit, trying not to wake those who were trying to get some sleep. Ryan spotted a few people who he recognized as family of fellow officers, and sent up a prayer for them.

The main desk outside was a hive of activity, even though it was the middle of the night, and the group had to wait patiently for a few minutes while Doctor Roberts found out what he could about Chip. Ryan jiggled his leg impatiently and repeatedly glanced towards the elevators, seriously considering leaving the rest of them there and finding his own way. He needed to see Colin.

After what seemed like an age, the doctor finished his conversation and walked back to the tense group.

“Okay, it looks like Mr Esten has just come out of surgery too. He’s also in ICU. Let’s go up and I’ll explain his condition on the way.”

Once they were all inside the elevator and it was making its way up through the many floors, its cheerful pings mocking their sombre mood, Doctor Roberts outlined the situation.

“Mr Esten also received substantial injuries from the blast, mainly to his head. There was some bleeding into the brain which has been successfully stopped, but there is still a lot of swelling around that area. Consequently, to give him the best chance of a full recovery, he has been put into what we call an induced coma. In other words, we’re going to keep him asleep to allow his brain to rest and the swelling to subside.”

Brad swallowed loudly, uncharacteristically lost for words, so Jeff asked the obvious question. ”Is he gonna be okay, though?”

The doctor let out a sigh and glanced at Ryan before answering, folding his arms and clutching the charts to his chest. ”Much like Mr Mochrie, I’m afraid we won’t know the extent of the damage until the swelling has gone and he wakes up. Even with the wonders of modern medicine, we can make no guarantees. The best I can tell you is that the surgery went well. The rest is out of our hands.”

 

It was a very subdued group that stepped out of the elevator a minute later and followed the Doctor down several pristine corridors. Ryan glanced into a few rooms as they passed, catching glimpses of other people keeping a vigil at the bedsides of those they loved, and wondered how many of them were casualties of the bombing. If only he’d uncovered the truth sooner, maybe all this could have been prevented.

A sudden commotion in front of them and urgent shouts drew his attention, as several doctors and nurses rushed into one of the rooms where an alarm had sounded. Ryan’s heart sped up in fear as they approached, but it was a stranger who the doctors were fighting to resuscitate. He felt slightly guilty when he saw a young woman sobbing in the background, her eyes shining with an agonizing sorrow, but he couldn’t help the rush of relief that swept through him. It wasn’t Colin.

“This is Mr Mochrie’s room,” Doctor Roberts announced a moment later, stopping outside a closed door and turning to the group. ”Like I said, only two of you can be in there at any time. The rest of you can wait in the relative’s room across the hall.”

“Brad,” Ryan murmured, his eyes fixed on the figure just visible through the partially open blinds on the window to one side. ”You’re his partner, too.”

The doctor appeared even more confused by this statement, so Greg decided to take pity on him.

“Look, man, Colin is his life partner,” he explained, pointing at Ryan, “and his paramedic partner.” He pointed at Brad. ”Chip is his life partner,” he continued, still pointing at Brad, “and his partner in the LAPD.” His finger duly moved to Jeff. Whereas he,” he said, pointed back at Ryan, “is my partner in the LAPD, and this is my wife, Jen.” Jen smiled sympathetically. ”Got it?”

“I think so,” Doctor Roberts nodded, with a small smile. He looked at Ryan and Brad. ”So, you two are coming in first?” 

Brad looked torn and the doctor was quick to understand why. ”I’ll take you to see Mr Esten in a few minutes,” he said reassuringly and Brad nodded. He turned the handle, and they both followed him inside solemnly, the door softly clicking shut behind them. 

Colin was lying, pale and unmoving, in a bed in the centre of the room, surrounded by and attached to various medical devices that were beeping and whirring noisily. There was such fragility about him, as if his life could drift away on the next breath of wind. Ryan hated to see him like that. He was normally so strong, so full of life. 

“Don’t be alarmed by all the tubes and machines,” Doctor Roberts said softly, noticing Ryan’s anxious expression. ”They are just supporting his vital signs while his body recovers.”

Ryan barely heard him as he moved slowly forward to sit down beside the bed, his hand reaching to once again enclose Colin’s. He was relieved to find it warm under his touch and his fingers slid down to rest on the comforting pulse in Colin’s wrist. Brad picked up the medical chart at the foot of the bed and scanned it quickly, his brow furrowed.

“He’s a fighter,” the doctor murmured. ”We almost lost him twice during surgery, but something kept pulling him back.” His eyes flicked to Ryan, who was leaning forward to gaze at Colin’s face intently.

“Can he hear me?” Ryan asked softly, without looking up.

“I’m sure he can.”

Ryan nodded his head a fraction and leaned in further, squeezing Colin’s hand gently. ”I’m right here, Col. Keep fighting. Stay with me.”

Brad moved to the other side of the bed and took Colin’s other hand, his expression devoid of his usual cheeky amusement. 

“Hang in there, buddy. We’re all here for you.” His eyes rested for a moment on Colin’s face, before shifting to Ryan. ”Please let me know the moment there’s any change. I need to go and see Chip.”

Ryan met his gaze briefly and nodded. He knew that Brad had it worse than any of them, with two partners in a critical condition, and Ryan certainly didn’t envy his position. He didn’t know what he’d do if it was Greg lying in Chip’s place. Brad seemed satisfied with his answer and turned to go.

“Brad,” Ryan called as he was almost at the door, and Brad looked back questioningly. ”Tell Chip that I’m thinking of him, okay?”

Brad smiled slightly. ”I will.” He paused. ”They’re both going to make it, Ryan. We have to keep believing that.”

Ryan turned back to Colin as he was left alone, with only the steady beep of the machines breaking the silence. He brought Colin’s hand up to his mouth and kissed it tenderly, his intense gaze fixed on the pale face below him as he spoke in a fierce whisper.

“You’re gonna be okay.”


	36. Chapter 36

Ryan resolutely stayed by Colin’s side as the hours passed, refusing to rest or take a break in case something happened. He was convinced that his presence was making a difference, and he wasn’t going to risk leaving while Colin was still so weak. The others came and went, taking it in turns to sit with Ryan and murmur their love to Colin, but Ryan was barely aware of them as he focused on Colin’s pale form. He’d found the beeps and whirs of the machines a comforting reassurance at first, but now he was constantly terrified that they’d suddenly stop—that Colin would slip away from him right before his eyes, and he’d be powerless to stop it. Once or twice he found himself drifting off, and had to shake himself awake. Colin needed him, and he wasn’t going to let him down.

“Ryan? Ryan!” Greg yelled, finally getting his attention after a few minutes of trying. ”You can’t go on like this, man. You’ve been up for over twenty four hours straight, and you’ve probably got concussion to boot.”

Ryan blinked and ran a hand across his face. ”He needs me, Greg. Nothing else matters.” Greg looked set to argue, but Ryan quickly cut across him. ”How’s Chip doing?”

Greg sighed, letting the subject go for the time-being. ”It looks like they’re gonna keep him unconscious for some time, but he’s stable at least; small mercies.” He paused, then added, “Brad’s being just as stubborn as you.”

Ryan fixed him with a look. ”Would you be any different if it was Jen?”

“No, probably not,” Greg conceded, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. ”We’re just worried about you, man.”

“Well, all I’m worried about is _him_ ,” Ryan replied softly, looking back at Colin’s emotionless face, running a bandaged hand down his cheek.

Realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, Greg clasped Ryan’s shoulder for a moment before leaving the room quietly. Time to bring in the big guns.

 

Ryan only looked up briefly as Jen entered the room a few hours later and sat down opposite him. Her gaze lingered worriedly on Colin for a few moments, before determinedly resting on Ryan.

“Just say what you have to say, Jen,” Ryan murmured, feeling her gaze on him without having to look. 

“Do you know what was going through my mind when I thought I was losing the baby, Ryan?” she asked quietly.

Ryan had been prepared for the same lecture he’d received from everyone else so he lifted his head in surprise at her words, shaking it ever so slightly in response.

Jen looked down at her modest bump and rubbed it lovingly. ”I kept thinking that it was my fault, that if I’d done something different, it wouldn’t have happened.” She raised her head and met Ryan’s sympathetic gaze resolutely. ”But that night I realized something. All of our lives are merely a brief flash of light in the darkness, and no matter how much we wish differently, we have no control in these sorts of situations. There’s no rhyme or reason in life, only the inevitability of its end.”

Ryan numbly watched as she leant forward to place her hand over his, the fragile dam on his emotions beginning to crack. ”Even your sheer force of willpower can’t change Colin’s fate, Ryan, and destroying yourself is only going to make things worse.”

Ryan looked back at Colin, barely able to see him through the blur of tears as Jen continued gently. 

“If he finds his way back to us, he’s going to need your strength more than ever. Are you going to let him down when he needs you most? Because if you carry on like this, you’ll end up in a hospital bed of your own.”

“I just don’t want to leave him, Jen,” Ryan whispered miserably.

She squeezed his hand supportively. ”I know, honey, but one of us will always stay with him. He’ll never be alone, and we’ll let you know the moment that there’s any change. I promise.”

Ryan expelled a shaky breath, the exhaustion he’d been fighting for hours now threatening to overwhelm him. ”Okay, I’ll try to get some sleep.” 

Jen smiled and sat back more comfortably. ”Good.”

There were a few beds set up in the relative’s room, for anyone who wanted to stay close by. Ryan headed to the one nearest the door, and sank down onto it heavily. Despite the amount of worry and fear plaguing his mind, he was asleep within moments of his head hitting the pillow.

 

When he awoke, Ryan was a little disorientated before he remembered where he was. He sat up quickly; glancing at his watch. 3.30. Of course, he had no idea if that was a.m. or p.m. Hell, he didn’t even know what day it was anymore. Not that it mattered particularly.

He found Greg sitting with Colin, reading select parts of the paper out to him. 

“You’re reading him the sports scores?” he asked incredulously.

Greg jumped and looked up indignantly as Ryan came alongside to check on his lover. ”Hey, man, it’s better than the weather or, heaven forbid, the fucking horoscopes section. I’m pretty sure that,” he consulted a page further on in the paper, “Mystic Mike didn’t see any of this coming. Oh look, apparently I’m gonna have a good week. Isn’t that dandy?”

Ryan snorted in amusement, and Greg was relieved to see how much better he looked than a few hours before. 

“Any news on Chip?”

“Not yet,” Greg sighed, tossing the paper aside wearily. ”It’s one big waiting game, man.”

Ryan’s hand found Colin’s and he squeezed it gently, ever hopeful of some kind of response, but Colin remained silent and still. Nevertheless, it was comforting to know that nothing terrible had happened in his absence. ”I should go see him and check in with Brad. Do you mind staying here a little longer?”

“Of course not,” Greg replied easily. ”We’ve got to go through the other half of the sports yet, haven’t we, Col?”

Ryan smiled and shook his head. Right there was a powerful incentive to wake up. He glanced at Colin’s face, almost expecting him to open his eyes and plead for mercy.

“Here,” Greg called, holding out a paper bag as Ryan turned to go. ”It’s from the cafeteria, so it probably tastes like it came out of a camel’s ass, but it’s food at least.”

Ryan grimaced slightly, but took the bag anyway. ”Thanks. I’ll be back soon.”

On his way to find Chip’s room, he passed a large window through which rays of sunshine were streaming through onto the wall and floor. So it was mid-afternoon then. He paused for a moment and looked out at the world, allowing the sun to warm his face. After everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, it felt like he hadn’t seen daylight for weeks.

Brad was very glad to see Ryan, once he was assured that he didn’t bring bad news about Colin. They were, after all, in very much the same boat. Like Colin, Chip was hooked up to various machines, but his head was also bandaged heavily from the operation.

“They’re gonna do another MRI in a couple of days to see if the swelling has gone down any,” Brad explained, his hand grasping Chip’s firmly. ”Then they can re-assess his treatment.”

“He’ll be okay, Brad,” Ryan said confidently. ”He’s too damn stubborn not to be.”

 

He returned to Colin’s side a little while later, relieving a yawning Greg from his duties.

“You know, this fucking thing is gonna take some getting used to,” Greg grumbled, looking down at his cast in disgust as he tried and failed to get his jacket on one-handed. 

Ryan came to his aid and patted his back consolingly. ”Go get some rest and give my love to Jen, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Greg replied, heading for the door. He paused before he reached it, however, and turned back, deciding to take the plunge and ask about something that had been bothering him.

“Shouldn’t you at least try to contact Colin’s family?”

Ryan’s head whipped around. ”Why?” he asked, incredulous. ”They turned their backs on him, Greg, just because he told them the truth about his sexuality. They obviously don’t give a damn about him.”

Greg lifted a placating hand. ”Hey, I’m not defending their actions in any way, shape, or form, but that was a long time ago, man. Things might have changed since then. It’s possible that they regret what happened and are waiting for the opportunity to make amends.”

Ryan didn’t answer, settling for making a disbelieving sound at the back of his throat. As far as he was concerned, Colin’s family had lost any right to be involved in his life.

Greg pushed on regardless. ”Look, I know it’s difficult. Believe me, I do. But you’ve got nothing to lose by trying, and Colin potentially has everything to gain.”

Ryan felt his resolve weaken slightly. He knew all too well how much Colin was still hurting from the forced separation. Damn Greg and his logic.

“Fine,” he huffed, scowling at his partner’s attempt to hide his victorious expression. ”Find me the number and I’ll make the call. Just once, though,” he added sternly. ”This is their last chance.”

Greg nodded, already halfway out the door. ”You got it.”

 

A few hours later, sooner than Ryan expected or would have liked in all honesty, Greg returned, triumphantly clutching a slip of paper.

“Hardly tested my detective skills at all, dude,” he grinned, pressing the number into Ryan’s hand. When Ryan merely eyed the slip of paper distastefully, Greg clapped him on the back. ”Come on, no time like the present. I’ll get Jeff to sit with Col and I’ll be your moral support.”

Ryan’s stomach clenched uncomfortably as he dialed the Vancouver number, but he put the phone to his ear decisively. He was doing this for Colin.

A pleasant sounding woman answered the phone after a couple of rings. ”Hello?”

Ryan took a deep breath, and put on his most polite voice. ”Hello. Is that Mrs Mochrie? Mrs Isabel Mochrie?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

At least he was speaking with the right person at any rate. ”My name’s Ryan Stiles. I’m a police officer in the LAPD and… a close friend of your son’s.”

“You’re one of Graeme’s friends?” she asked, sounding a little puzzled. ”What’s he doing in L.A.?”

Ryan swallowed. ”No… I meant Colin.”

There was a brief pause, and when she spoke again her tone was considerably cooler. ”So you’re one of his lot, are you? I don’t think we need continue this conversation.”

“Please,” he interrupted, ignoring the clear insult. He needed to get the desperate state of Colin’s situation across. ”He’s been badly injured and…”

“That’s no longer our concern,” she callously cut across him.

Ryan bit back an angry retort, his fist clenched around the receiver. ”He’s your son.”

“Not anymore,” she replied firmly, and the line went dead.

Ryan stared at it in disbelief for a few seconds before slamming it back into place. He couldn’t remember ever being this angry with anyone before, even the bomber. How could a mother turn her back on her own son like that? It was amazing that Colin had grown up to be such a kind, generous, and loving man, with family like that. They didn’t deserve him.

Greg stood a little way off, looking sympathetic. He could tell by Ryan’s reaction that it hadn’t gone well.

“You tried, man,” he sighed. ”That’s all you can do.”

“Yeah, for all the good it did,” Ryan fumed, heading back the way they’d come. ”They’re lucky that a thousand miles separates them from me.”

Greg had to walk a little faster to match Ryan’s long strides. ”It’s like you said, Ry. We’re his family now.”

Turning the final corner, Ryan’s steps faltered as he heard the sound he’d been dreading. All the blood drained from his face as several members of staff rushed into Colin’s room and he had to force his feet to move.

“Ryan!” Jeff called anxiously, as soon as he saw him approaching. ”I don’t know what happened! The alarm just suddenly went off.”

Ryan wordlessly rushed past him to head into the room, but found his way barred. He caught a brief glimpse of Colin, surrounded by doctors, before a member of staff politely but firmly pushed him back and closed the door.


	37. Chapter 37

The next few minutes passed by in a dazed blur for Ryan, the sounds and voices around him sounding strangely muffled as if he was underwater. Comforting words and touches were offered, but he was unable to respond or move an inch from his place beside the closed door. Every fiber of his being was focused on the small room beyond, willing… hoping… praying. 

Part of his brain registered Brad’s arrival behind him and the low rumble of his anxious questions before the door in front of him abruptly opened. His heart rate trebled as the medical staff filed out and he locked eyes with Doctor Roberts, who paused and dropped a hand onto his shoulder.

“Relax, it’s okay.” 

Ryan released the breath he’d been holding, trying to concentrate on the doctor’s words despite his overwhelming relief. 

”His level of consciousness rose, which in turn caused his body to start fighting the machines that were supporting him. He’s now stable and… well, come and see for yourself.”

As soon as he re-entered the room, Ryan sought out Colin’s face and his breath caught in his throat when he saw hazel eyes blinking groggily back at him. 

“Col,” he breathed, his feet carrying him forward on auto-pilot.

“Hi,” Colin rasped, a hint of a smile lifting the corners of his slightly open mouth.

Ryan sank onto the edge of the bed beside him, drinking in the sight, and was forced to restrain himself so as not to aggravate his injuries. He settled for a feather-light kiss to Colin’s dry, cracked lips, and his heart leapt when he felt it returned, albeit very weakly.

The sensation proved to be his undoing, and everything that he’d kept bottled up somewhere deep inside seemed to catch up with him at once. Choking back tears of relief, he shifted to press his cheek against Colin’s and closed his eyes, relishing the contact and the warm puffs of breath gently caressing his ear. Distantly he heard Doctor Roberts discreetly excuse himself from the room to allow them a few moments, but he couldn’t reply or even acknowledge it. He’d been in a state of extreme tension for so long that now he felt like a puppet with all his strings cut.

“It’s okay, Ry.”

He tried to compose himself and lifted his head to meet Colin’s tired gaze. ”I was so scared, Col. I really thought that I’d lost you.”

Colin’s eyes moved across his face slowly, and Ryan realized that he was mapping every part just as he himself had done only moments before. When his eyes locked with Ryan’s once more, there was a little more strength within them.

“I heard you,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with disuse. ”Everything was cold and dark, but I heard your voice telling me to hold on.”

Ryan reached up to run his fingers down the side of Colin’s face. ”I wasn’t going to give you up without a fight.”

Colin gingerly moved his hand to cover Ryan’s, a wince crossing his face as his sore body protested against the movement. Ryan’s brow immediately furrowed in concern.

“Are you okay?” 

Colin gave him a slightly incredulous look and he smiled back sheepishly, bringing Colin’s hand up to his lips and kissing it. ”Sorry, stupid question. Seriously, though, how are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been repeatedly trampled by a herd of elephants,” Colin croaked, and then attempted a small shrug. “I’m just glad to be out of that building.”

Ryan suddenly remembered what the doctor had told him earlier on. ”What about your legs?”

“I can’t feel anything at the moment, but that’s to be expected,” Colin replied, exhaustion tugging at his eyelids as his body demanded rest. He caught Ryan’s anxious expression and squeezed his hand reassuringly. ”Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ry. Let’s just take one day at a time, okay?”

Ryan nodded resolutely as Colin allowed his eyes to close. ”Okay.”

 

Ryan strolled into the hospital a few days later, clutching a couple of Styrofoam cups and a brown paper bag. It had been the week from hell, but he was finally feeling a little more like his old self, with the benefit of some much needed sleep. He walked the now familiar path to the elevators and jabbed the button absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting back over recent events.

Colin had been moved out of ICU the day after he regained consciousness, and was now in a private room on the floor below. The swelling around his spine was continuing to show signs of improvement and, although he hadn’t regained proper feeling in his legs yet, he had occasionally felt a pins and needles sensation, which the doctors assured him was a very good sign. They were cautiously optimistic that, with time and physiotherapy, he would make a good recovery. 

Chip was still unconscious in ICU but his latest MRI scan had shown a marked improvement, which was very promising, and they were looking at reversing the coma within the next few days. Colin had been up to his room a few times in a wheelchair, not just to check on Chip’s condition, but also to lend his support to Brad, who hadn’t left his side. Ryan knew only too well what he was going through and prayed for as positive an outcome.

The death toll from the bombing now stood at thirty nine, twenty three of whom were police officers, including Drew. It was the single most devastating loss in LAPD history. The search for possible survivors had been abandoned after forty eight hours, and it was now a simple recovery operation. Of course, pictures of the destroyed police bureau had been plastered over every newspaper and television channel, and several reporters were currently camped out at the hospital in an attempt to interview wounded survivors. Ryan had silently glared at them whenever they’d tried to question him and they had eventually given him up as a lost cause.

The arrival of the elevator brought him back to the present and he stepped inside, juggling his load in order to press the button for level four. His mood seemed to lift along with the elevator as it hummed its way past several floors, but it faltered slightly when the doors opened and he found himself face to face with Wayne. He knew that Wayne was frequently visiting his partner, who was recovering from his injuries on the same floor as Colin, but they hadn’t crossed paths until now.

Wayne looked momentarily surprised before he assumed his customary sneer, and wordlessly pushed past Ryan into the lift. Any hopes of this tragedy forging a fresh start between them flew right out the window, and Ryan shook his head with a sigh before setting off down the corridor.

As he approached Colin’s room, a few words drifted out into the corridor and he smiled, his mood instantly reviving. He’d know that voice anywhere.

“Cut it out, Greg,” he heard Colin laugh, as he pushed the door open halfway and stopped to take in the scene. Colin was sitting upright on the bed, supported by several plump pillows. All his tubes and drips were gone and he looked like a completely different man to the one who’d lain in intensive care only days earlier. He was currently trying to bat Greg away who was engaged in some kind of foot prodding exercise from his chair at the end of the bed. Ryan was forced to repress a snort at the picture they made. 

“What about there?” Greg asked with a grin as he prodded a different spot. He was plainly enjoying himself.

“Enough already,” Colin laughed, supporting his healing ribs with one hand. 

“Do I even want to know?” Ryan asked, his tone caught between exasperation and amusement.

They both looked up at him simultaneously. Colin’s face lit up with a smile, while Greg didn’t even bat an eyelid.

“What can I say, man? I have a thing for feet. Get yours out and we can start a party.”

“You need help, buddy,” Ryan grinned, dropping his offerings on the bedside table in order to greet Colin properly. 

“Seriously, though, you’ve gotta see this,” Greg said, beckoning Ryan over once his lips had finally parted from Colin’s.

“What?” Ryan frowned, curiosity drawing him closer to Greg’s position. ”I have seen his foot before, you know.”

“Just watch. Show him, Col.”

Ryan followed Greg’s gaze, looking thoroughly perplexed, and Colin snorted in amusement at the pair of them. ”You’ve built it up now, Greg.”

“Just do it, dude.”

Colin sighed and then adopted an expression of intense concentration. Ryan was just about to question them further when he clearly saw Colin’s toes bend over a fraction. His gaze snapped up to meet Colin’s in absolute astonishment.

“You can feel them?”

Colin slumped back against the pillows, looking a little drained but very pleased with his success. ”Only a little, but it’s a start.”

“Are you kidding?” Ryan asked incredulously, pulling him into a tight hug. ”It’s fantastic!”

“What did I tell you?” Greg said smugly.

“This call for a celebratory coffee and bagel,” Ryan grinned, reaching for the items he’d brought in. “And I happen to have both.”

“Real coffee?” Colin asked with a smile, as Ryan handed one of the cups over and took a sip of his own. 

“Of course! None of that hospital shit. This comes courtesy of Lucy.”

“Hey, where’s mine?” Greg called.

“West Fifth Street,” Ryan replied without missing a beat.

Colin chuckled at Greg’s expression and took a sip of coffee, closing his eyes briefly to savor the taste. ”Mmm, I’d forgotten what proper coffee tastes like. Hey, can you thank Lucy for the flowers next time you see her?”

“Sure,” Ryan said, looking round at the latest colorful addition to the room—just one of many that adorned every surface in sight. He snorted. ”It’s starting to look more like a florist than a hospital room in here.”

Colin swallowed his mouthful and grinned. ”What can I say? I’m much loved.”

“Yes, you are,” Ryan smiled, leaning in for a kiss while Greg suddenly found something interesting to look at out of the window.

A tentative knock interrupted the moment, and all three of them turned to look at the pretty young women standing in the doorway uncertainly. Ryan didn’t take much notice of her, assuming that she’d got the wrong room or something, but Colin’s eyes widened in shocked recognition and the coffee cup tilted in his hand, some of its contents splashing onto the floor.

“Maggie,” he murmured.

Ryan and Greg were looking between the pair of them, clearly puzzled by Colin’s extreme reaction. 

“You two know each other?” Ryan asked with a frown, breaking the slightly awkward silence.

Colin blinked, glancing at Ryan briefly before his gaze was drawn back to the doorway. ”You could say that. She’s my sister.”


	38. Chapter 38

Ryan’s eyes widened and he turned his head to stare at the woman hovering in the doorway, stunned into silence. Now he was looking at her face properly, he could see the family resemblance. She had the same soft hazel eyes, now looking very wary, and the same pale skin, which made the dark brown curls that framed her face all the more striking.

“Can I come in?” she asked hesitantly, her gaze flicking over Ryan’s and Greg’s faces before coming to rest once again on Colin’s.

Greg cleared his throat and got to his feet. ”I should go check on Chip,” he murmured, heading for the door. ”I’ll see you later, Col.”

“Sure. Thanks, Greg.”

Greg spared Maggie a brief, rather cool, glance as he passed, but she didn’t look away from her brother. Ryan started to get up too, assuming that the two of them would need some time alone, but Colin reached out to grasp his arm firmly and pull him back, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he wanted him to stay. Ryan smiled reassuringly at Colin and linked their fingers securely as he settled back down. He noticed that Maggie followed the movement, looking a little uncomfortable. Colin obviously noticed it too because when he spoke, it was with a tone of weary resignation.

“Why are you here, Maggie?”

Her eyes shot up to his face and a there was a flash of emotion, maybe remorse, in her eyes. ”I heard that you were hurt.”

Colin immediately frowned in confusion so Ryan thought he’d better step in to explain, bracing himself for a bad reaction. ”I called your mom when you were in intensive care.” When Colin turned his head and stared at him in shock, Ryan pressed on quickly. ”We didn’t know if you were going to pull through, Col. It could have been their last chance to make things right. I didn’t tell you because your mom was… less than receptive to my suggestion.”

“She didn’t tell us,” Maggie cut in, taking a few cautious steps into the room and drawing Colin’s attention once more. ”I don’t think she ever had any intention of telling us, either. I only found out when I overheard her talking to dad about you.” Her eyes projected earnest sincerity as she took a few more steps towards him. ”I would have been here sooner if I’d known.”

Colin looked back at her impassively. ”Well, as you can see, I’m out of danger so you can leave with a clear conscience.”

She shook her head firmly, making her curls bounce against her face. ”It’s not about that. I’ve missed you, Colin, and I’ve thought about finding you for a long time. I know that I didn’t have your back when you needed me all those years ago, and I’m not going to try to excuse my behavior, but I’ve come to realize how wrong I was to judge you.” She was now within reaching distance of him, but held herself back, her voice dropping to just above a whisper. ”Please give me a chance, Colin. I’d like my brother back.”

Colin let out a deep breath. ”I can’t do this now, Maggie.” He paused, and turned his head away from her, looking out of the window at the clear blue sky. ”I’m going to need some time.”

Ryan actually found himself feeling a little sorry for her as he watched her face crumple, but he knew that there was no quick fix to the situation; the hurt ran too deep.

“Okay,” she replied softly. ”I’m staying in town for a few days.” She pulled a scrap of paper out of her purse and quickly scribbled down a number, placing it on the table beside Colin’s bed. ”Call me if you’d like to talk.”

Colin nodded slightly but didn’t look back at her. She glanced briefly at Ryan, in silent acknowledgement, then swiftly left the room, leaving a tense silence in her wake. 

Ryan squeezed Colin’s hand in a gesture of comfort and apology, his worry increasing when Colin continued to stare vacantly out of the window. ”Col?”

Colin blinked and seemed to come back to the present, looking at Ryan with the shadow of a smile. ”I’m okay, Ry. I’m just tired.”

Ryan knew that there was more to it than that, but decided to let it go for the time-being. ”Get some rest,” he murmured, leaning in for a brief kiss. ”I’ll come back in a little while.” 

As he left the room, Ryan saw Maggie waiting for the elevator at the end of the corridor and, making an instant decision, he headed towards her. He called her name and she turned questioningly, just as the elevator doors opened with a ping.

“Ryan,” he said, holding out his hand, which, after only a slight hesitation, she shook. ”You want to grab a coffee?”

There was relief and more than a little gratitude in her eyes as she answered. ”Sure.”

 

Maggie sat down at a table by the window in the hospital cafeteria, which was fairly deserted at that time of day, and a few minutes later Ryan placed a cup of coffee in front of her.

“It’s not very good, I’m afraid,” he smiled, settling into the chair opposite.

She smiled back and shrugged her shoulders. ”It’s hot. That’s good enough.” She took the lid off to let it cool a little and dipped the white plastic spoon in to stir it gently, a frown creeping onto her face as she stared at the swirling liquid. Ryan decided to sit quietly and let her make the first move, not wanting to push too much.

“He _is_ going to be okay, right?” She looked up on the last word, her gaze intense.

Ryan was quick to reassure her. ”The doctors are confident. He’s been through a lot, though, so it’s going to be a while before he’s back on his feet.”

She nodded and lifted the cup to gently blow on the still scorching coffee. ”How long have you and Colin been together?”

A smile lifted the corners of Ryan’s mouth briefly. ”It feels like years, but it’s actually only been around four months.”

Maggie took a small sip, grimacing slightly before reaching for the sugar. ”But… you love him?”

“Yes, I do. Very much.” He watched her face carefully as he answered, but there was no trace of judgement or repulsion. Still, he felt that he had to make himself clear. ”I’m not going to let anyone hurt him, Maggie.”

She looked up and held his gaze, her hand pausing in its task. ”I have no intention of hurting him. I just want to try to make amends.”

“Okay,” he nodded, relaxing back against the chair, and decided to lighten the mood slightly. ”You and he were close growing up?”

“Oh, I totally worshipped him,” she admitted, a smile lighting up her face for the first time. In that moment, Ryan could see Colin shining through. She turned her head to look out of the window and Ryan continued to watch her with interest. Her gaze drifted over the bustling city, but he could see that her mind was far away, lost in memories.

“There was nine years between us, with my other brother, Graeme, in-between. Graeme and I never really connected as children. He was always so distant and self-involved… still is, actually,” she added with a smirk. ”But, even though he was so much older than me, Colin was the complete opposite. Mom used to call us two peas in a pod because we were so alike. He would spend hours with me, just playing and laughing. He was always there for me when I needed him.” Her happy expression faltered slightly as the memories turned sour, and she took another sip of coffee.

“What happened?” Ryan asked gently.

“I was thirteen when he came out to our parents and everything fell apart.” She turned her head to look back at him. ”You have to understand that our mom and dad have strong Christian beliefs, which we were raised to follow without question. Unfortunately, part and parcel of that is the firm view that homosexuality is fundamentally wrong; against god.” Her gaze slipped back down to the cup cradled between her hands. ”It must have taken a huge amount of courage for Colin to do what he did, and I wish that I could have shown the same courage by defending him. But I didn’t. I was young, confused, easily influenced by the strong views of my parents, and I left him to face the wolves alone. 

Graeme reacted predictably, siding with our parents and rejoicing in the chance to become the favored son.” Her mouth twisted in distaste. ”Mom and Dad tried their best to ‘fix’ Colin, and show him the error of his ways. They said some awful things to him… quoted every relevant passage of the bible, which said that he should be put to death, that he would be damned forever. I sat on the stairs outside, listening and crying for him but unable to move.” She closed her eyes and a few tears slipped down her cheeks, splashing onto the table. ”I failed him.” 

Ryan, his own face pained with emotion at the tale, reached across and covered her small hand with his. ”You’re here now, Maggie.” She opened her eyes to look at him, her eyes shining with a torrent of emotions. ”Colin’s hiding a lot of hurt deep inside that even I can’t reach, but you _can_. You can still make this right.”

 

Colin was still asleep when Ryan returned to his room, so he sat quietly in the chair beside him. Curling his fingers around Colin’s hand gently, he thought back over his conversation with Maggie. The harsh reality of Colin’s experience had hit him hard, and his difficulties with his own family now seemed ridiculously trivial in comparison to what Colin had been through. How fucking ironic that the bible preached tolerance while simultaneously condemning everyone who didn’t conform to its views. It made him sick. 

“You went to see her, didn’t you?”

Ryan jumped, wrenched from his thoughts, and looked down at Colin’s face. His eyes were still closed, but there was a hint of a frown across his brow. 

“Yes,” Ryan murmured. He was slightly anxious about Colin’s reaction, but he wasn’t going to lie. ”I just wanted to be sure of her intentions, that’s all.”

Colin opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to meet Ryan’s worried gaze. ”I can’t blame you for that, I guess.”

Ryan’s eyebrows rose slightly. ”You’re not mad?”

There was a brief flash of a smile in response. ”No, not at you.”

“But you’re still mad at her,” Ryan replied. It wasn’t a question.

Colin turned his head away, with a quiet sigh. ”I didn’t think that I’d ever see any of them again, Ry, and as difficult and painful as that was, I learned to accept it and tried my best to move on. Now Maggie’s here, I don’t honestly know _how_ to feel.”

Ryan squeezed his hand, running his thumb over the back of it soothingly. ”That’s only natural. It’s going to take time to work through your emotions, but it _will_ get better.” 

When Colin looked back, his hazel eyes were clouded with doubt. ”I’m not sure. I know the danger of re-opening old wounds.”

Ryan leaned forward slightly, choosing his next words carefully. ”I know you’re scared of letting her back into your life, Col, but isn’t it worth the risk? The rest of your family may be beyond hope or reason, but your sister is here and she’s holding out her hand to you. I think you should take it.”

“I’ll think about it,” Colin replied softly. ”Right now I just want to concentrate on getting out of here.”

“Okay,” Ryan nodded, giving him a quick peck on the lips. ”Do you need anything?”

A mischievous glint crept into Colin’s eyes. ”Well, I could do with a little more of that particular medication.”

“Anytime,” Ryan purred, leaning in again.

 

“Your chariot awaits,” Ryan announced as he walked into Colin’s room several days later, pushing a wheelchair.

Colin looked up from where he was perched on the edge of the bed and smiled. ”Great. Just give me two minutes.” He packed up the last of his belongings, and zipped up his bag before looking around the room for anything he’d forgotten. ”I think that’s everything.”

“Let’s get you out of here then,” Ryan grinned, maneuvering the wheelchair so that it was alongside Colin’s position. 

With Ryan’s help, Colin managed to move from the bed to the chair fairly smoothly. He was getting more feeling back in his legs all the time, but they wouldn’t bear his weight yet and his physiotherapist had warned him that it would take several weeks at the very least. 

“I’m not going to miss this room, that’s for sure,” Colin said as he adjusted his position to get comfortable. ”I know each and every one of its four walls better than anyone should… and its thirty two ceiling tiles, obviously.”

Ryan snorted and grabbed the bags. ”What about the delightful cuisine?”

Colin made a sound at the back of his throat. ”Don’t remind me. I would have wasted away without your food parcels.” He leaned forward to grab a sheet of paper off the bed. ”Mustn’t forget my release form, or we’d have to make a break for it.”

“I hear they’re letting you out for good behavior,” Brad called from the doorway, his normal cheeky grin firmly in place, although the strain of the past week had clearly taken its toll.

Colin smiled and shrugged. ”I’ve been a model patient, I guess.”

“Or more trouble than you’re worth,” Brad replied, eyes twinkling. He got a mock glare in response.

“Haven’t I taught you never to insult a patient?”

Brad’s grin broadened as he grabbed a couple of bags off Ryan, who was trying not to laugh.

“Speaking of patients, how’s Chip doing?” Ryan asked, bending down to take the brake off.

“Pretty well, all things considered. They’re gradually taking him off the drugs that have been keeping him in a coma, and he _should_ regain consciousness naturally.”

Colin shuffled around in his seat to look at him. ”That’s good news.”

Ryan, however, noted his emphasis on the one word, and frowned. ”Should?”

Brad glanced sideways at him, his expression serious. ”There are no guarantees with his sort of injury. I’m hopeful, though.”

Squeezing Brad's shoulder, Ryan looked down to meet the gaze of the man he’d so nearly lost. ”Sometimes hope is all we have.”


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter. Thanks for reading. x

**One Month Later...**

Ryan opened his eyes and blinked in the semi-darkness, his heart hammering from the dream that had awoken him. The warm body pressed against his, combined with the gentle, even breaths across his chest, instantly calmed and reassured him, and he tightened his embrace as he looked down at his peacefully sleeping partner. The nightmares had become less frequent in recent weeks, but no less distressing; each one ended the same way, with Colin’s lifeless body slipping away from him to be buried under an endless mountain of rubble. If the last few months had taught him one thing, it was that he should be thankful for each day and never take life for granted… especially the wonderful man in his arms.

He pressed a feather-light kiss to the top of Colin’s head, smiling as Colin snuggled into him a little more at the touch. It had been a long and frequently difficult road, but Colin’s recovery was almost complete. Although he still needed crutches to get around, he was out of the wheelchair at least and getting stronger every day. 

His physiotherapist had been amazed by the sheer force of his determination to get back on his feet quickly. Colin had vowed to be better by Christmas, which was now only a few weeks away. As for Maggie, Colin had only called her once, to let her know that he needed a little more time, but it was a step in the right direction.

Ryan’s smile slipped as his gaze moved to the window, where the slowly brightening sky could just be seen through the blinds. It could have so easily have ended differently. The countless funerals they’d attended over the past few weeks were a constant painful reminder of that. His heart grew heavy at the thought of everyone who’d been lost, especially his good friends and colleagues. Their faces were never far from his mind, along with the memory of their desperately grieving families following the solemn procession through the crowded streets. The whole city had stopped and thousands had turned out to pay tribute to the many fallen heroes, who had been laid to rest with full military honors.

L.A. was a city in mourning, but there was also a fierce determination to rise out of the tragedy stronger than ever before. The Central Bureau was going to be rebuilt and dedicated to all those who lost their lives. Until its completion, their base of operations had been moved to a building a few blocks over and, although it had been difficult returning to work, everyone was hopeful for the future. At least the feds had wrapped the case up and Jeff had been cleared of any wrongdoing, which was a good start.

“You okay, Ry?”

The soft voice brought him back to the present and, when he turned his head, he met Colin’s sleepy, but concerned gaze.

“I’m fine,” he replied, smiling reassuringly. “Go back to sleep.”

Colin stretched and shook his head. “I’m awake now, and I’d rather just be with you.”

“You were with me before,” Ryan pointed out, his smile widening.

“You know what I mean,” Colin said, swatting him playfully. “There’s more enjoyment to be had when I’m actually awake.”

“True.” Ryan bent his head to kiss him, feeling the familiar flutter in his stomach when Colin deepened it. “I have an idea,” he murmured against Colin’s lips a few moments later.

“I’m hoping that it includes this,” Colin replied huskily, wrapping a hand around Ryan’s arousal and squeezing it slightly.

This earned a groan in response and Ryan grabbed Colin’s hands, rolling over so that he was on top. He pinned Colin’s hands above his head, then met his lips again enthusiastically. When he pulled back, he was pleased to see a thoroughly dazed, but hungry expression on Colin’s face. 

“It most certainly does, but you’re gonna have to wait here for a few minutes.”

Colin frowned, clearly wondering what Ryan had up his sleeve. “Okay, but don’t be too long or I’ll be forced to take matters into my own hands… literally.”

He rubbed his erection against Ryan’s body to make his point, and Ryan snorted, pecking his lips before jumping out of bed. “I won’t.”

 

“Okay,” Ryan called, re-entering the room a little while later. He threw a jacket to Colin, who was sitting up in bed, stroking a loudly purring Socrates. “Let’s go.”

“Go?” Colin repeated, looking more than a little put-out. “I thought we were going to enjoy our morning in bed.”

Ryan couldn’t help smiling at his pouting expression. “I still have that in mind, trust me.”

Colin sighed, reluctantly pulling the jacket on before swinging his legs out and reaching for his crutches. Socrates looked disgruntled by the sudden lack of attention and rubbed his head against Colin’s back insistently. “Can I at least ask where we’re going?” 

Ryan pulled Colin’s hands away from the crutches firmly. “Well, you won’t need those for a start.” He grinned when Colin looked even more confused, and bent down to carefully lift him into his arms.

“Mind your back, Ry,” Colin warned, looping his arms around his neck securely. “We don’t want you out of action, too.”

Ryan kissed his nose as he headed out of the bedroom, ignoring the pitiful mewls from behind them. “I’m fine.” He grinned, before adding, “If I hurt myself, I’ll just have to find a paramedic to tend my wounds.”

“Uh-huh,” Colin smirked. “I’ll be sure to dial 911.”

After carrying Colin up several flights of stairs, with a few rests on the way, Ryan finally pushed the door open to the roof, revealing a blanket laid on the ground with an assortment of things around it. Colin shook his head with a smile as Ryan gently lowered him down onto it and sat down behind him, one leg on either side, wrapping an extra blanket around the two of them to keep out the cold.

Producing a thermos out of nowhere, Ryan poured two steaming cups of coffee and handed one of them to Colin. Colin took it gratefully, snuggling back into Ryan’s chest, and took in the impressive view. The dark blue of the night sky was giving way to the pastel hues of the impending dawn, the light creeping across from the east where the sun was only minutes away from peeping over the horizon and painting the city gold.

“After everything that’s happened, I have a new appreciation for the dawn,” Ryan murmured in his ear. “Mother Nature at her finest, and yet very few ever actually see the birth of a new day.”

“It’s beautiful,” Colin said softly. “Perfect.” 

He looked up at Ryan with a smile, the light reflected in his eyes, and Ryan was powerless to stop himself from closing the distance and meeting his welcoming lips as sunlight suddenly flooded the rooftop. Their coffee cups slipped, forgotten, to the ground as they sank backwards in a tight embrace.

They made love slowly and tenderly, drawing out the pleasure to its fullest and simply enjoying the taste and feel of each other. It was very much like the first time after Colin’s release from hospital, which, after having come so close to death, had been an intensely emotional experience for both of them. Lying spooned, they had blinked back tears and held each other tightly as their bodies shook in the wake of unparalleled pleasure.

Now they moved in practiced synchronicity, worshipping each other’s bodies in the golden light of a new day, and when the time came, they touched heaven together with whispered words of love. Ryan gathered Colin in his arms, still breathing hard, and pulled the blanket over them, although it didn’t seem quite so chilly anymore. 

Colin pressed a kiss to his collarbone and then nuzzled into his neck contentedly. “We should probably move before the neighbors spot us.”

Ryan merely grunted in response, his eyes closed in exhaustion. He wasn’t sure if his legs would take his own weight at that moment, let alone Colin’s. Luckily, despite his words, Colin didn’t seem in any rush to get up either. His hand wandered lazily over Ryan’s chest as his breathing evened out. After several minutes, Ryan forced his eyes open and looked down at him.

“Okay, we don’t have to be at Greg’s until tonight so we have the whole day to ourselves. How does breakfast in bed sound?”

Colin lifted his head and smiled, kissing him thoroughly. “That sounds like my kind of plan.” 

 

Greg had opened the front door to welcome them before they’d even stepped foot out of the car that evening, his fully healed arm raised in a wave. Jen appeared beside him moments later, her face lighting up with a smile as she saw them.

It was the first time that they would all be together since the bombing, and was a belated thanksgiving and early Christmas celebration rolled into one. Jen had stayed resolute in her determination to get them over for dinner, but now with the addition of the rest of the guys too. 

“Wow! You’re a real pro with those now, man,” Greg remarked, as Colin easily navigated his way from the car on his crutches with Ryan hot on his heels.

“Yeah, and they’re handy for whacking ankles in crowds too,” Colin grinned, coming to a stop. He was instantly pulled into a hug by Jen.

“It’s so good to see you back on your feet again. You had us worried for a while, there.”

“He needs to be able to breathe, honey,” Greg smirked, as he slapped Ryan on the back in greeting.

“I’m fine,” Colin smiled, returning the hug. “How’re you doing?”

Jen released him and rubbed her bump with a soft smile. “We’re doing okay. This one’s a fighter.”

“He takes after his father,” Greg said proudly, covering her hand with his.

“Or she,” Jen countered, pecking his lips.

“The world’s not going to know what hit it,” Ryan smirked, as they all headed inside.

“Watch it, man, or you’ll be on diaper changing duty.”

Jeff and Lucy had already arrived, and there was another flurry of enthusiastic greetings and hugs exchanged.

“So… you and Jeff, huh?” Ryan murmured to Lucy, eyes twinkling as Jeff and Colin caught up properly.

She smiled, and Ryan was struck by just how different she looked. It wasn’t just the obvious fact that her hair was down, framing and softening her face, or that she was without an apron; it was something infinitely deeper. She looked truly happy.

“Well, I always did have a thing for a man in uniform,” she replied, raising a glass of wine to her lips. “Something that I believe we share.”

“Touché,” Ryan grinned, glancing over at their respective partners. “Seriously, though, I’m really happy for you. You deserve a good man, and Jeff’s one of the best.”

Lucy seemed touched by the unexpected compliment. “Thank you.”

Ryan shrugged, a sigh escaping his lips. “He’s had a really tough time lately, what with the suspension and then Chip. I’m just glad he’s had you to lean on.”

The doorbell sounded and, as Jen was busy in the kitchen, Greg disappeared to answer it, followed closely by Jeff. 

“Brad can never be anywhere on time,” Colin smirked, as he returned to Ryan’s side. “Nice to see you, Lucy,” he added warmly.

“Likewise,” she smiled. “The coffee house hasn’t been the same without you, although Jeff’s been making up for it a little.”

Colin laughed. “I bet. Well, I’ll hopefully be back at work next month and I’ll need my morning caffeine dose.”

“The sooner you’re back at work, the better,” Brad called as he entered the room. “I’m losing my sanity with Steve.”

Colin turned to look at him with a grin. “You never had much of that to start with. Nice to hear you’re missing me, though.”

Brad snorted and pulled Colin into a hug. “You’re looking good, buddy.”

“I’m getting there. Where’s your other half?”

“He’s been waylaid by Greg and Jeff,” Brad replied, looking back over his shoulder. “Here he is now.”

Chip entered the room with Jeff, both of them laughing at some private joke. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe that only a month ago he’d been lying in a coma. He was pretty much back to his old self. The only lasting legacy of his injury was some memory loss, including the entire day of the bombing, and, bizarrely, a newly acquired taste for broccoli, which he’d always hated before.

Brad smiled as they walked over. He still had a tendency to stay close by his lover, but Chip didn’t seem to mind the attention; in fact, he seemed rather pleased by it.

“Hey, guys,” Chip grinned, hugging each of them in turn. “Wow, all of us together again and no bomber in sight… although we could get blown up if Greg’s cooking.” 

“We’re safe,” Jeff laughed, wrapping an arm around Lucy’s waist. “Jen’s in charge tonight.”

“Thank god for that. I’ve only just grown my hair back.”

Everyone’s laughter was cut short by Greg announcing that dinner was ready, and Ryan took the opportunity to excuse himself to go to the bathroom. When he approached the dining room a few minutes later, he paused on the threshold and watched everyone talking and laughing loudly as they passed various steaming dishes around the table. After everything they’d been through together, it was a beautiful sight. 

His eyes moved across all of them in turn. Greg and Jen, who were busy being hosts but still constantly exchanging small gestures of affection; they were soon to start a new, long awaited, chapter of their lives with the birth of their first child, and Ryan couldn’t imagine that child having better or more loving parents. Jeff and Lucy, who were chatting with the others, while occasionally sharing a secret smile; they had just started out on their journey, but were so perfectly suited to each other. Then there was Brad and Chip, who were almost inseparable. As Ryan watched, Chip whispered something to Brad who pulled him into a brief, but tender kiss. They’d been through hell, but they’d got through it together and were even stronger for it.

His gaze finally came to rest on Colin, who was sitting on Brad’s other side and joking around with Greg. Colin’s eyes were bright with laughter and happiness, and Ryan felt his heart flutter as it so often did when he looked at the man he loved. They’d had to cope with more adversity in a few months than most couples did in a lifetime, but he didn’t regret a minute of it. 

The warm hazel eyes slid up to meet his questioningly and Ryan smiled before heading inside to join him. Whatever force had thrown them together in that coffee house, whether it was fate, coincidence, or just blind luck, Ryan would always be thankful.


End file.
